Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-12-04
GREATER AMERICUS
CLUB: LARGE TURNOUT
Members Enthusiastic and
Hear Good Talks.
Answer All Arguments
Made BY the Advo-
Gates of Municipal
Ownership.

/. The Greater Americus Club, which
has nominated Messrs Brown, Ell
bridge and Sherlock as it's aldermanic
candidates, held an enthusiastic rally
at Miss Bells studio last night. A
large number of well known citizens,
representing all walks of life, were
present. The meeting was marked
by the entire absence of personalities
OF any sort in the speeches that were
made. The speakers gave the opposi-
ton credit for sincerity in its views,
but held that the results of the
policy advocated by those on the other
side would be prejudicial to the inter
ests of the city and hamper progress
of the city government in every direc-
tion. 1t was pointed out that many
parts of the city have no water, no
sewerage, poor streets, little fire or
police protection and get no little or
nothing from the municipality except
the pleasure of paying taxes Instead
OF extending the water system, in
stead of extending the sewerage sys-
TEN, instead of improving the streets
In these sections, and instead of build
ing up the fire department and pro-
tectlng the city better, it was pointed
out, the whole energies of the city
government are being bent toward an
experiment in municipal ownership,
although it has been, as the speakers
claimed, shown that under political
control municipal ownership becomes
the plaything of Office seekers and
speedily burden to the taxpayers
The tenor of all of the speeches
was on the line that the waterworks
of Americus had been an expense to
the taxpayers instead of a profit, and
numerous figures and statements were
made that were said to bear out this
contention. These, it was announced,
would be published in circular form
so that citizens might study them at
their leisure
Among the speakers of the evening
were Messrs. w P. Wallis, w. NJ.
Jones, G. NJ. Eldridge, l.. j. Blolock,
DWELL Simmons, B. w. Griffin, G. w.
Glover and several others. The diff
ferent speakers took up points that
had been made by the opposition and
answered them in detail. One point
replied to was the argument that the
next Council can contract for lights
and water pumping for twenty years.
1t was pointed out by two or three at
torneyS that the Council cannot con-
tract for more than it's term of Office
withou referring the matter to vote
Of the people. Those present were
asked to tell of any arguments that
had been advanced from the oppos-
ton so that they could be answered.
All of the speakers sought to talk
along educational lines, and all of the
telling points were warmly applauded
1t was claimedd in the speeches that
in the testimony of the municipal own
ership aldermen taken before the ref
cree appointed by the Superior Court
last summer, it was stated, that they
planned to raise money for a munich
pal lighting plant by cutting all the
city s operating expenses forty per
cent. The expenditures on the streets
the aldermen said could be reduced
nfty per cent, it was stated, and the
operating expenditures of the police
and fire and other departments slash
ed III order to raise money to get
plant. The question was asked by
the speakers as to what condition
Americus would be if it's streets were
further neglected, the wages of its
police and firemen cut, its sewage held
back, and other departments held
down in every way simply to promote
what the speakers dubbed the folly oS
a municipal ownership experiment
that would cost the people far more
than the city was now paying for the
same service or could contract for it.
Government control and not govern
ment ownership was the tenor of
some of the speeches.
The members of the club expressed
themselves as highly pleased with the
outlook and the speakers all predicted
victory on next Wednesday at the
polls. 1t was asserted by all that the
drift of public opinion had strongly
in favor of the greater Ameri-
Gus movement and its candidates.