The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1908-09-13
THE ACTION OF THE RETAIL
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.

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the light and water question which has
so long been perplexing and disturb
ing problem in our city.
This issue has been injected into
nearly every political campaign for
the past ten years.
The candidates have always pre-
posed to settle it when they got in Of
iice to the satisfaction of the public.
A contract was made between the
city and the company in 1907. but an
injunction got in the way. Then a sub
Isequent contract was made, but was
not voted on by the people. and it was
not allowed to stand.
Now the city and the company have
finally agreed to submit the matter to
a vote Of the people for ten-year
contract and thus remove it as a po-
litical issue for that period.
There is no other way to adjust the
matter. Only by a two-thirds vote OF
the qualified voters at an election call
ed for the purpose can contract be
made that VIII hold longer than one
year,
A large number of our most sub
stantial and prominent business mep
are stockholders in the Mutual Light
and Water company, yet every one of
these gentlemen have other invest
Iments in Brunswick that far exceed
their interest in this company. Among
these stockholders are those who are
engaged in various shipping lines and
industries. They produce the largest
payrolls in the city: they build houses
and improve property generally and
give life and industry to our city. 1t
| is as much to their interest to have
the light and water question settled
on basis that will be fair reasonable
and satisfactory to the public, as it is
to the public themselves. For this
reason they have made concessions
and reduced rates until, as shown by
the reports of disinterested experts,
there is not even reasonable profit
left in the operation of this plant I'M
less there should be very substantial
increase in our population.
Besides they have agreed to con-
struct an electric street railway sys-
tenn The News has heard many citi-
zens express themselves as to this en-
terprise and without exception they
have stated that they did not believe
1t would pay. Many of them have
stated that they believe that no per-,
son or syndicate of persons, could be-
found who would build a trolley line
in Brunswick except Mr.. Strachan and
his associates.
! Yet there are some people in our
community who seem determined that
this question shall never be settled
and that Brunswick shall never have
a car line
/ The News trusts that all such peo-
Iple will give serious and impartial
consideration to the question, and be-
lieves, if they do so, they win realize
that they are standing in the way of
their cwn prosperity and retarding the
growth and progress of the city. If
they can reach such a conclusion sure
y they will change their positions,
The members of the Merchants as
ISOLATION are business men. They could
but see the conditions as they exist n
our city; they realized that SO long
as this question remains unsettled, Just
so lcng will our citizens remain sdi-
vided, because it cannot be kept out
of political campaigns Just so long
as our people are divided our city can
not prosper.
| The News believes that if the cleo
ton on the goth is in favor of the con
tract that the year 1909 Will be the
most prosperous year in our history.
On the other hand, if the contract
is rejected we will proceed along in
the<old rut, letting all of our more pro-
gressive competitors continue to out
strip us.
| It is up to the people. The poii,i-
clans have taken back seat New let
the public get busy and follow the
lead and advice of the Merchants as
ISOLATION and so out on the 26th and
vote fer the contract.
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The Macon Telegraph says that the