The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1907-06-08
THE CITY AND ITS FRANCHISES

It is desirable in these emly days q. the cty's making, that the powers that
be in coldaell lay dow rues or ADOPT a policy with regard to thu public utility
corporations that seek franchises from Dur people. No franchises have yet been
granted, unhss it be to n electric light and power company and sevrald differ
ent interests se knocking at the door, asking for special grants and privileges
We are building a town here in the desert under peculiar conditions. We
supposed to be uninhabtable by human beings and until the discovery Of gold
here's scarcely a human foot had traversed theses sands ant then only in transit %
the last place on sarh for the smstenance Of a community and the building of a
city Nothing was or is to this day. grow in the vicinity Therea IRE n rich
fields with waving grain and Lowing cattle; n placid rivers or slvmy brooks; 10
desert sintv n asben parcbed and barren. broken only by burnt volcanic hills
with a distant horizon of mow and ice. Certainly not a habdtation for man or
beast; certainly not tie environment Tor a great city # enduring foundation.
The people n are in aodhed today, were attracted hither by n only
tmng-gold; the gold of the hills, If the rocks. tn sands. Nothing else could
have caused the rush mt this desert sink Many can and low come only to
make a cleanup" and get out; very few. in fact come with the expectation of
remaining any length Of time. But some, in fact many, as the days and months
crease in h degree Of riches and IL extent of producing territory, and they
have made mp their minds to remain here believing that the life of the camp is
goo for many years. They v built fine residences and erected costly bust
ness structures and arranged their affairs Tor IN indefinite stay They have
merged themselvss into the city's lift and have struck ut into the current of
its affairs III on the theory "a matter of hope and faith only that the gd de-
posted in tho surrounding hills will furnish a basis for prosperous existence for
many years to ONE
Now, it is these people those who have acquired vested rights and large in
terests, that are most affected in this matter of city franchises and if a concen
ss Of opinion might be had among them, W Q believe We could find as follows:
That capital. seeking investment here in quasi public utilities, must be treated
with the utmost nberahty consistent with rights and interests OF property and
business That franchises and other grants must not D. nedg aoout by unneces
saruyh arrasang restrictions and exactions; and that the me are willing to
received large benefits furnish the necessities and conveniencss of life and bust
ness and by 50 doing axe long chances in a community whose duration and ERIN
ever run Tor their money To be just, they mut be given If anything, the
best Of it.
We are nt in sympathy with isp popular cry If franchise grabbers''
when a mar or company OF men seek the privilege of furnishing this town of
ooldheld with water.n light and power. and urban transportation facilities Many
a man and many a newspaper has struggled to build up in. the public eshma-
tmn by bowling wolf, Or stnef" everyt time a franchise is asked or granted;
it is the cheapest and commonest type of demagoguery, this posing as the guard
lar of he people. and more often hides a sinister motive directly opposed to
the peoples interests. And as more directly applied to GoldfeId, We should say
that HI is al enemy to he cty-fts worste enemy who would embarrass or oppose
the granting Of reasonable franchises to any capital that might venture to invest
hundreds If thousands of dollars in building and maintaining thosep public utli-
ties which this city most sorey needs-water, light and power and cheap and
rapid urban and ilterurban transportation. 1t must be remembered that We are
not trying for a city beautiful but . city prosperous and hvable
Thousands an hundreds Il thousands of dollars werer sked by an individual
in building a pipe me TO this city to furnish our people with a n abundant supply
# water, for the lack of which Goldfed's growth vas being stunted AM the pub
lie health most seriously menaced. But before that pipe line reached thu city it
wa challenged and deniedt the useo Of IA crys streets de a franchise, and
for months thousands of or people have been buying water by the bucket be-
Jus esome o. M public spirited men, before they would permit this life CIV
ing stream to ncw through the arteries of tn city, sought to hold the company
risk the enormous investment which this waters system involves to supply a desert
city of doubtful pernanency ought to be lauded and crowned as a public bene
factor and given a certificate to life everlasting. Rather give such IN enterprise
thousands liz the way 4 a bonus than fight w the tribute to be exacted and
extorted from it's hackers.
More water is a vita necessity to this city. Street railroads are not Water
could never he a menace TO the city, while a stree railroad might prove a nus
railroad in Gcdfed. with its present size at least simply for the purposes of
carrying passengers to and fro through the streets. We do not need a tamway
system for hat merely but it would be a great convenience and a greater saving
of money, if combined with the passenger service, the tramway could belt the
mines, and give US quick and cheap freight transportation Not throw our
streets open to steam traffic; not throw them open to freight traffic for n and
all hours, bGt for electric traffic, AM freight traffic only during certain restricted
hours Of the night. In this way capital invested n a tramway, might make some
money, and the people themselves benefit This town can afford % give a fran
chsef fol- an electric tramway for certain streets permit thu hauling of frdghts
through the streets-cetain streets and during restricted hours at night, the
franchise not to be exclusive, blanket OF perpetual tn tramway to grade the
and keep them in repair, and, wfthal pay a reasonable sum-reasonable-
to over the expense the city might be put to in fixing up the roads, changing
grades, etc., as a result Of the tramways construction work. A tamway CON-
pany could AFFORD to take a franchise under such conditions n the people could
afford % give IT,
the recently advertised franchise to anyone II vas a bunghng and loosely drawn
affair that CAV everything and secured nothing The district attorney sized up
in accordance with his advice. So long . or county commissioners at so closely
III harmony with the best public sentiment, there Is 10 urgent reason for the in
corporation Of Goadhed- In many way have they shown themselves equal to the
denandA