The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1908-08-22
SHALL THE PEOPLE RuLE?v

4 pPgSIssslFe step thdt any city ADMIN
1istration has made in many years was
that one on Thursday night last, when
the city council referred to the people
for fnaL adjustment of the long-pend-
ing differences between the municipal
ity of Brunswick and the Mutual Light
and Wafer company. For years this
corporation whether justly or other
wise has been a bone of contention
with first the one and then the other
political factionI 1t has been, whether
properly so or not, the cause of more
discord in this community than any
one agency in the confines of Bruins
wick. For months and months the
city council and the Mutual people
have been treating with each other
looking to an adjustment of these diff
ferences, giving both parties to this
long drawn-out tangle credit for full
integrity and intent they failed to
reach an amicable agreement, but
happily concluded to submit the prop
osition to the people for ratification.
No deliberative or legislative body
can possibly err in submitting to the
people any matter that materially af-
fects the people; no creature is larger
or greater than the creator, and in this
particular case it is meet and proper
that the registered voters, the taxpay-
ers of the city of Brunswick should
pass upon this momentous problem af-
fecting so materially their well being.
We must compliment the members of
council and the stockholders ir the
Mutual Light and Water company for
the fact that they have finally risen
to an occasion in which Brunswick's
future is so deeply at interest and
which demanded cool, clear-headed
and perhaps, patriotic consideration.
1t has long been one of our dreams
that we might live to see the hour
in Brunswick when designing politi-
clans both interested in the plant and
otherwise would no longer have this
plant to be used as a political football
with which TO engender bitterness and
lstrife with the one hand and retard
lBrunswick's growth and development
with the other. While The News ac-
Icords the fullest degree of sincerity
to the members of council who voted
against the measure and to others
Iwhb probably, will not vote for it's rati
lfication, We are inclined to believe that
they are in error In their position
Expert and reliable accountants repre-
lsenting both the company and the
Lefty have for the past month made
! an investigation OF the earnings OF
, 1.-THE company In ratio to Investment
land 1t has shown up remarkably small
! as will be observed by a copy of tn:
, report of the auditors in our news col
umns of yesterday. The Mutual peo
pie have shown that they cannot make
! further reductions in the rates to OBJ
tain in the proposition submitted with
Tout heavy losses, and it seems to us
that 1t would be unfair to ask for
further concessions. Again, the entire
proposition on which the people are
to vote carries with it guarantee
| from the Mutual people that within
twelve months from the ratification of
the contract they are to have COM
Ipleted four miles of trolley lines in
brunswick There is nd, improvement
THAT we know SO calculated to benefit
brunswick than is this very trolley
line. 1t means an increase in taxa
BILE values, gives the people first-class
and yet reasonable means of transit
and puts Brunswick in the class with
other progressive cities in the coun
try. Let the people ratify this con-
tract and remove at least one and
certainly the largest obstacle to Bruins
wicks growth.
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