Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-03-21
Municipal Ownership
 in the Council
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 cussed," said Alderman Jordan, and the committee decided that II the mayor was an eX-officlo member of the board it would have a ten- dency to encourage better men to run for the office and give the city good administration. It would result in the better element voting. at all elections. This section of the bill was approved at the suggestion of City Attorney Coleman, who stat ed that it was good one."
 But we are not here to decide whether or not the people of Pine Bluff want municipal ownership. We are here to either approve the bill or reject it, but as I understand 1t, some have signed the petition for the district and the same names are on the petition protesting against it. Am l right?" The question was asked of Attorney s. M. Taylor.
 .I understand so," replied the at torney
 ''There need be no fear of politics 1 being mixed in the matter" said ! Alderman Nichol. '"There are seven men in the commission. Only one of them is the mayor. We would like to hear from Mr. Danaher, who assisted in draftine the bill.''
 Attorney Danaher said he did not come there to talk, but he added that it was the general opinion of those who endorsed municipal own ership that no city official should have place on the commission.
 Rutherford Objects to Lights.
 John F. Rutherford, president of the Citizens Light & Transit com pany, and who is also heavily in- terested in lumber and other local interests, was next heard. He said at present the light and transit com pany has good light plant and that there was no complaint about the service. Whenever one was filed. he said, it was given immediate at tention and relief given. He objected to the light proposition, as ex- pressed in the municipal ownersh;s bill. It would greatly interfere with the proposed Improvements of the Citizens Light & Transit company and handicap the company in float ing it's bonds. Many Improvements. in addition to proposed extensions soon to be made on the local car lines, are being planned by the com pany There is no call for lights, D said Mr. Rutherford, "but there is a call for water. Eliminate the sec tion providing the light plant. You don't want to do me an injustice. l know you don't. I don't believe you will. If you send this bill to the legislature, eliminate the light feature
 Mir. Rutherford added that the orig inal idea was to create the distric for water plant only, but he jocularly accused F., G. Bridges of the Pine Bluff Light and Water company a! being the author of the light feature to bring about sale of the presen light and water plant to the city.
 Doctor JOrdan's Retort.
 Alderman Jordan was given tn, | floor when MT. Rutherford took hi seat, and said that he did not want t appear as the spokesman for the bill , but he believed it the universal opin : ion that the light plant go with th t water plant. I wish to state that th' y present light service is not giving sat t isfaction. 1 hear complaints about i every day. The gentleman who jus | took his seat is little off on tha l question: We don't know that tn l present owners of the Citizens Ligh l and Transit company will be the own Q CTS one year from now or even tel years from now. We have had trou ble enough with franchises I, fo Q one, believe that tha light and wate q should go hand in hand We are no