The daily Alaskan., 1908-04-29
THE MATTER OF THE TAKING OVER OF
 THE LIGHT AND WAFER PLANT


 Home Power company i, the thing of interest just now. The question of le- gali,y Is first to be determined and aher that-in case it is found that the city cau, under the law assume the isbui,y-whetber or not the tax pay CTS wish to assume the same,
 The assumption must carry that those having this m,tter of the pur- chase of the plant in charge, have the well being of the city at heart.
 It goes without saying that the best interests of the city are to be conserved through ,he employment of such bus. ress methods as would be followed by good business men in any private enterprise.
 It is to be presumed that the citizens who made the purchase of the plant Of the Northwest Light x Power com pany went over the plaDt carefully be- fore giving up fifteen thousand dollars iu consideration for 1t.
 The conserving Of the interests of the city means the conserving Of the inter- ests oI the citIzeos, the taxpayers who will have to pay the money # the pur- chase is made. These interests Of course lie iu tue direction Of reduced rates in water and light, in greater SC, curity against fire, iu greater security agsir st fcIlleness Of service, arbitrary changes Of rates and, generally, ia ind- ing for ou selves that security which goes with O OWNERSHIP, ,and that re,eas from the consciousness Of being subject to the whim of individuals or corf ora tions which ever trets che citizen.
 With ownership by the city the city may develop it's plant where It sees ad vantage iu so doing, looking to the in- teres,s ot the city-each citizen and tax payer-tor next year and the year after, as well as oltOday, Good business me,h- ods poiu. this way.
 The resolution passed by the city council on Monday evening is a conclu- slye one-one with sequences to it reaching to a conclusion. II it shall be found that the thing can be legally done, then, under the resolution, 1t is slre .dy ordered to be doue-the matter submit- ted to a vote Of the taxpayers. There Is to be no further reference to the council. The council is committed. It is to b. assumed that the matter will be submitted at once. It is therefore time that the taxpayer should begin to think whether the proposal Is good for him or not whether it is to his iutersts or not.
 The presumption is these citizens who bough, the pant of the Northwest LIgh. and Power Co. went through 1t themselves, ss stated. Some of these are members Of the city council. All the members Of the city council and through them all the taxpayers are en- titled to know what they found there, A committee was appointed at the m eet- ing of the council a week ago to go ov CT the business with the Home Power | people, to learn and report what they 1 have. That committee has not been ! given au opportunity to do this. One member oI the council at the meeting Monday evening raised the question saying tbat 50 far as the council was concerned it did not know that there was such plant. IL is unfortunate to say ! the least, that this committee was not allowed to report fully. It is uuiortun> ate that this point was not insisted up oa iu and by the council It is ueaes. sary to know, first, the condition of the plaut-and that it is servicable. Next the reports of competent engineers should be laid before the citizens as to the cost of such be,terments ss may be necessary to meet the requirements of contemplated changes in the service. rhsse nra the things every business