Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-11

Some municipal plants have been ac-
quired by guaranteeing the owners a
fair return on their actual investment
and installment payments from the
earnings of the utility. Why not have
the local property appraised by COM
petent engineers and an offer made to
purchase, based upon the actual val
ue? The trouble, heretofore, has been !
that our city councils have permitted
eXorbitant rates to return earnings
far in excess of the actual value or
investment. and when the new pur-
chaser appeared he had to pay for
the earnings rather than for the prop
erty and, of course. he contrived TO
get the people TO guarantee contin-
uance of the earnings. The first move
toward ownership by the city or by
anybody else should be TO put the rates
Where they ought TO be. Then the buy
er would need to buy only what the
owner owned, and not what the city
council had been permitting him to
collect. Net earnings Of $4,000 after
/ interest charges had been paid, are
much too fat for a property which
will appraise in actual value less than
100000 over and above the mortgage
bonds Establish a fair rate for every
body. owner and consumer, and then
the question of purchase will have
been reduced TO the simple one of get
ting the money. If the city Of Rich
mond, Ind. can pile up a surplus on
electric lights at 10 cents for every
body. so can private owner here.
And if 81 gas makes money for the city
at Danville, Va, SO would it for pri-
waite owner here.
The reason given by the interurban
crowd for pulling out Of Boone is Civ
en- in the Boone News-Republican as
the injunction suit and other com
plications The "other compiled tons"
were that the bond company which was
TO put up the money found the earn
ings unsatisfactory. Whether the fact
; that the money market thruout the
country just now is so tight that men
can't raise loans on first mortgage land
!. security had anything to do with the
finding. is not known Had the thing
been allowed to go thru last summer
. when money was easy, there probably
, would not have been much difficulty
. Colonel Pratt has now been turned
, down for franchises by the voters OF
Boone, Ames and Marshalltown, but
> he succeeded in driving out Of Boone
! and Marshalltown the fellows who
! threatened to bag his game. Now let's
watch for his temperance. His friends
in Chicago, since the election, have
> already written to find out what kind
: of a franchise will win in Marshall
town.
4 Just as soon as the roads become
: passable there will be congestion O.
Christmas shoppers in from the coun.
try. The last week before Christina!
is going to swamp the stores. Every
II man, woman and child in Marshall
town who has anything to buy should
< buy it this next week and buy it earl.
to avoid the rush.
y Of course, if we had four or five in
: terurbans, business would have gon
on this last fortnight just the same.
Scratch a factory owner and he vii
e tell you that he could move from fou
y to ten families to Marshalltown If h
% could only find houses for them. VIII
is going to build some houses, modern
: and within the means of wage workin
u people?
e
Sc When the Marshalltown Club start
g off with its initial banquet let's max
.e the feed upon Marshalltown products
- It can be done and done well.
4
When women and children from tn
country visit the city during the aoN
, day rush and wonder why, o why, W
= do not have a rest room, let them real
~ ize that it is because the county, on
~ of debt and with money in the banks
rents it's court house basement for of
a, fees instead of making it serve tn
vs comfort of all the people.
10
!. Healthy, well fed, and prosperou
id remember the sick, the hungry, and tn
es needy. What have you done in you
#. neighborhood for charity? What hay
you given from your pocket in the PAL
year?
rs --------------
e. Rural Carriers Examination.
IN Five applicants for the position I
TT rural carrier under civil service we,
re given an examination by the loo
ms board today. The five applicants al
d. all men, and all from Laurel.