The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-28
''P0LlTlCAL CRAFT AND DISHONESTY, WOULD MAKE OWNERSHIP OF WATER WORKS
 A FAILURE" SAYS CHIEF EXECUTIVE

permit a utility so vftally necessary as water to remain in private hands?
 Do you know that one Of these pri- Vate companies. that in New Haven pays all it's taxes and furnishes water free to the city and has a B year fran ch1se only? Do you know that in near " all of the other nine cities. the pow CT to make rates is in the people. and that the so called private companies are only nominally in private hands?
 If you do not know these things. why do you not?
 Again. MT. Mayor. the city sooner or later will construct new system of sewers?
 Now the sewer system is a natural adjunct of the water system. The wa ter system brings the water into the home. The sewer system takes it away, and the storm waters also. Of the two, the sewer system is much the more costly. much the more difficult to con- struct.
 Do you favor turning the sewers over to the Bridgeport Hydraulic company to manage? If not. why not? The people want to know.
 The proposed cost of the new sewer system is $3,000,000. Let the Bridge port Hydrau ulc Company build them, and charge the people for it's skill, in precisely the same way as it charges the people for it's water.
 What will the Bridgeport Hydra ulic Company do? We'll, it will build the sewers. It may save a few dollars over the public in the cost of build ing If it does 1t will take back ten for one in the form of water.
 & Lighting Company has a railway system that can be replaced for about 5000 ,000, cars, tracks, rights of way, and everything. It is capitalized at s20, 600, and the people are paying profits on that amount. Costly, isn't it, MT. Mayor?
 Four per cent. on S25, 900, 600 is $1 000- der your administra ton in charge of those lines would steal and. waste $1,- eco, 900 a year?
 But let US assume that our sewers are constructed for $3.000. GOO. Then our company will expect to get for cent. on it's investment, besides the cost. of operation and all expense att tached thereto.
 Eight per cent on s. .0oo, 900 is s24o,- 900, isn't it, MT. Mayor? Do you be- lieve, MT. Mayor, that if those sewers are built, and are ever managed under a board: appointed by you, that those managers will graft. steal and waste $2Ao, 600 more than the cost of running them, or the sum that would go to widows and orphans under private management?
 Or, do, you perhaps, MT. Mayor, be- lieve, that in electing you, by g. ma jority of the votes cast for you, the people exhausted thAir-~.s-sarn?
 Do you re-echo the rzf1srnEe- sTal- leyrand, "After US, the Deluge"? The world has moved since the death of Talleyrand, MT. Mayor. If you can appoint boards which do not steal so can the Mayors who will succeed you.
 A little later, MT. Mayor, this news paper will lay before the people of Bridgeport the res ss of municipal ownership. of water works in other cit ies.
 In the meantime 1t suggests that slapderfng the people is an offense of a serious nature and one that the peo- pie will not tolerate
 The people of Bridgeport are as wise and as competent as any other 100. 900 people anywhere in the world. They live under free institutions, Mr. Mayor, If their government is not a govern nnent of graft today. it will not be to- morrow. The world moves, and as it moves the municipal grafter is van- ishing quantity.
 The jails yawn for him. The peni- tentiary waits for him. The mark of Cain is upon his forehead. The grave Is the only place in which he can find