The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-12-03
A Municipal Triumph


Francis Marshall Elliott in the Twentieth Century Magazine The
stage setting this Pasadena Call of the
beautiful residential cities of the New World 1t has population of
about 100000 the land city of miionares and
homes and home than city of like
population America large percentage of its people retired
capitalists her from almost every section spend
declining years this wonderful garden spot where the
ever shining bloom perpeual More than $50 in
city reputed be worth million dollars while
large proportion of the population persons in more than comfort
than hundred families dwell in fats
and there Sums manufacturing enterprises and no tene
1t preemnenty city of wealth and culture and
peconed notions of economics Pasadena should be of
conservative and udmocrac communities in the land yet
of this city reoce perhaps the most fundamentally
municipal charter be found in the worda charter
which provides the city shall have the power
o purchase receive have hold lease and enjoy property of
every description both within and without the limits of the
city and control and dispose for the benefit
furthermore specifically provides that the city shall have the
maintain waewos pipes pipe lines aqueducts
ydnts supplying the city and its inhabitants with water
right supply persons who live without the city
gas and electric works for supplying the
city and its inhabitants with light heat and power.
maintain works for supplying the city and its
inhabitants with telephone and Geographic service
o and maintain and street railways and other
conveyance together with all rolling stock houses
equipment appliances apparatus necessary and proper the
operation management, and control of the same"
Having thus provided that the municipality might primarily estab
line of business deemed by the citizens be the public
eny overlooked point Of vantage where individual
poraton already established in line which the community
might consider be the collective advantage rather than
the otherwise slow process of establishing and building up
competition established enterprises spirit of
abandon provided in Section of Article that the city should have
the power
o exercise the right of eminent the purpose acqu
ng real and personal property OF every kind necessary or convenient
ior the of said city or its inhabitants.
Now these radical and progressive and
democratic city charter in America forced reluctant
and protesting community by coterie of sociasc agtato but
evolved by charter commission composed of said business
and retired capitalists and they submitted and adopted by
overwhelming majority of the wealthy stad and conservative
home addition the provisions quot
ed looking the protection of the citizens Pasadena this
remarkable document bc dies the practical political safeguards OF
popular government initiative referendum and right of recall by
which themselves the power initiate desired
legislation undesred legislation and to recall discharge
unfahful or incompetent officials employees.
Having thus established themselves in this model and modern citadel
Of municipal democracy the citizens of Pasadena position
enjoy the legitimate benefits be derived from natural monopoes
benefits which in various cities throughout the United States have
during the last half century, made of mmlonaires the
expense of the wealth of the citizens and the purity of municipal gov
ernments