Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-04-09
MUNICIPALUNACY
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BY JOHN KENDRIcK BANGS.
Cincinnati is talking OF electing "hon-
est and efficient men for public Office"
We shall watch the experiment with
deep interest. If it proves successful
in Cincinnati there is no reason why
other American cities should not at
/ least try it for themselves. We never
know what we can do until we make
an effort.
Nobody will deny we fancy, the
probable efficiency Of municipal den
tistry. Any profession that involves a
pull as an essential factor of success
may be safely left in the hands Of the
politicians.
1t was Mrs. jameson who wrote 80
bond is necessary to complete our be-
ing, only we must be careful that the
bond does not become bondage" Some
of our towns, like Milford Center, o.,
FOR instance, that have abandoned mu-
nicipal ownership, but are still kept
busy paying for it, would have done
well to have cut this wise saying out
and pasted it in the municipal hat be-
fore proceeding further in their uto-
plan schemes.
The man who said that figures never
lie would probably have modified his
assertion somewhat If he had hired an
expert accountant to go over the ac-
counts of these very profitable munich
pal ownership ventures that so success
fully reduce" taxation in British COM
munities while multiplying the public
debt by 10, as in case of Birmingham.
A figure may be the most truthful
thing in the world and yet betray vast
imaginative powers when it gets down
to business in the hands of an official
reporter who wants to hold his job.
re-
The verb "to graft" means to insert
into a plant-that is to say, when you
insert a politician into a gas plant, or
a power plant, or an electric light
plant, or a street car plant, you get
complete case of graft. Whatever. may
be said against municipal ownership,
on its behalf it must be admitted that
for the expert professional CRATER it
affords an abundant field of endeavor
and one which he most assuredly will
not let die of neglect The only ques-
ton is whether or not the process will
improve the breed.
re-
The inevitable issue of the Tom
Johnson system of municipal owner
ship of the street railways will be the
establishment of the zone system of
fare collection-that is, instead of one
fare the consumer will be called upon
to pay three or four fares unless, of
course, he prefers the ozone system,
which involves the return to the old
fashioned method of transportation
known as "shaRk's mare" so popular
with our forefathers.
HH
1t is reported that the municipal
pawnshops of Paris are a failure. 1t
is pity. 1t will keep the British hui
morists from talking about municipal
loanership, and that will be a real loss
to lovers Of that particular kind of
humor all over the world.
RR
When Tammany gets control of all
New York's public utilities, will Tam
many Hall be known as the power
house or the grand central station?
We cannot be outdone in enterprise
by our esteemed contemporaries, and
we therefore offer Our readers a miss
ing line limerick, for the best compile
ton of which received between now
and February 80, 2797, we offer an
abandoned municipal gas factory as a
first prize, an unpaid tax bill for the
second best and BOBBY prize of $40
in real stage money for the worst.
The first four lines of our prize liner
lex are as follows
city that made its own light