The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-09-19
MUNICH ALUNACY.
BY JOHN KENDRICK BANGS.

Judging from the reports that reach
as from various parts Of the country as
to the condition of civic lighting COM
panies and wiIted water plants, We
shall soon be relieved Of the stigma
placed upon Us by the British visitor
- this country who declared that we
had 10 impressive ruins to attract the
traveller. Would it not he Il good plan
for some uuniicent millionaire to buy
up Il few of these, transfer them to
tie banks % the Hudson and thus put
that beautiful waterway into the run
ming in the matter of legendary inter
est with the Rhine? \ few moss and
ivy covered ruins of this kind would
add much to the scenic beauty of the
picturesque river and doubtless inspire
our literati with ghastly legendary
lore that will make those old stories Of
the Rhine look ike Il mar and Il half.
Here indeed is Chancellor Mr.. An
drew Carnegie to do something to beau
tify his adopted native land and to fill
the shelves Of his many libraries as
we'll with good reading at one fell
swoOp.
The increase of the public debt of
Birmingham, England, from $4,OOO,OOO
Iii the early seventies of the last cen
fury to $1J,00O00O, according to the
last available figures, shows how COM
pletely municipal ownership wipes out
debt Of that kind. Alongside Of $75,-
100000, Il paltry sum of 100000 is
not only wiped out, but actually an
initiated.
The police of Chicago were assessed
in the last elections to pay the ex
penseS Of the municipal ownership
campaign. This is another point il
favor OF q comprehensive SYSTEM OF
public ownership. After awhile, with
the motormen. conductors, watermen
gasman, ditch diggers, linemen, cleo
tricians. and so on, to assess for sim
ilar purposes. the public will doubt
less enjoy free elections. One NIGH
almost hope that such a fund as this
would wax so great that after election.
are over there would be Il balance lef
10 declare a municipal dividend with
The byproducts of the municipal own
ership idea grow daily more and NOR,
Interesting, not to say alluring.
- -
1t Is nonsense to say that municipal
ownership breeds socialism. On tn,
contrary. 1t is driving people back t.
III tt; -.
cities people who used to patronize thu
tro.leys now walk because they wish
To get where they are going alonf
lines OF least official resistance. AND
In Valley City. y. D., the quality of tn,
service Of the public gas plant ha.
driven Il number of business men t,
Install gasoline lighting systems o
their own on their premises.
Muncic Ind. has abandoned he
lighting plant. but consoles hersel
with the thought that her bonds re
main. AZ tie poet said, or would hav
said il IL had thought OF it:
O!i ties are hard to sever
O,aer ties endure forever
-
The city fathers of Brunswick, Mo
lave j'!&t done good stroke of bus
ness IL selling Its lighting plant for 3
cents on IL" dollar, taking pay Il
light AMI wafer. 1t is fortunate
wasn't municipal bakery. 1t woul
/ hd"t IL pay for that by sending
iar@e Graf'S OF rhubarb pie and cream
cakes t. the city treasury. to say moth
iGS or Ii" risk Brunswick would incu
Of sudden attack of civic indigestion
running into chronic appendicitis fror
overia iuIceace II douehuuts. Opera
'ioGS rpon IT, holy polite are danger
"Ds tL.a-:. >i2.r tie patient is apt t
c@acrieoan :. cucets from taking gas.