Arizona republican., 1910-02-24
This Is The Day For Voting
 On Ownership 4 CLOSE CONTEST EXPECTED
The Question of Whether or Not Phoenix Shall Apply to Congress For Permis sion to Bond Itself Will Be Decided Today.

The special election today will fur nish the taxpayers of Phoenix with an opportunity to express their opinions on the question of municipal owner ship of a gas and electric plant If the majority of taxpayers vote yes the city council will proceed to ask congress for an enabling act to per init this city to bond itself in the sum of S300.0O0 for the construction of a plant
 Today's election is the outcome of the struggle in this city for cheaper lights. The history of the struggle is practically the same as many others in this country: some of them result ing in the acquiring of a municipal plant and others in compromise with the local company and the reduction Of prices.
 The fight against the Pacific Gas and Electric company is being made by the Municipal Government league. an organization of local business men. IL has been vigorously opposed by the gas and electric company through their paid advertisements in the daily pa pers. They have presented their argu- ments as forcibly as possible in these advertisements over the signature of F. H Ensign. The company has al- ready offered tO compromise. They have agreed to the proposition Of committee of business men not identl- fled with the league. to open their books to a committee of three com petent engineers and accountants to be appointed bv the city council, so that the actual value of the plant may be learned and the actual earning ca pacity with a view to establishing rate that will pay a fair rate of interest and not an eXorbitant rate. in addition the company has expressed it's wiIlinsness to have commission appointed whose business it shall be to determine a fair rate and to fix that rate. the company agreeing to abide by the decision of the commit tee.
 IL is believed by some that the ultim- ate result of the fight for cheaper light and power will be an amendment ID the franchise of the company empow- ering the city council to fix the rate of charge.
 It is generally conceded by those who are in a position to know some thing of the trend of events. that the election today will be a rather close one The consumer in the outlying dis tricts is relied on to vote for muni- cipal ownership. There seems to be a general feeling among the small users Of gas and electricity that they are paving more than theh share while the merchants are getting their power and lights at a greatly reduced price per kiloWatt Many of the merchants have signified their intention of vot- ing against the proposition; for they are more in favor. at the present time, of building d sewer system and erect ing new school houses than they are of bonding the city for another light plant An election has already been called for the purpose of deciding whether the city shall bond itself for S400.O00 for the construction of a sewer system. and in addition there is sf50.- 900 that will have to be raised by tax assessment for the purchasing of sites and the erection of school buildings.
 Yesterday afternoon a petition to the taxpayers and electric light users of the city of Phoenix recommending that the city council appoint the commits siOns for the purpose of fixing rates, was circulated and in a short time the names Of fifty of the heaviest tax payers in the city were affixed to it. The opening paragraph of the petition reads. We. the undersigned taxpay- CTS of the city of Phoenix are of the opinion that the taxpayers of Phoe- nix should vote No on the proposi- ton to be voted on on the 24th inst, relating to the issuance of bonds for a municipal electric light plant" The complete petition with the signatures is printed in a paid advertisement in another part of today's issue of The Republican.
 The cost of the election today is be- ing borne by the Municipal Govern ment league.
 A hurried meeting of the city coun- cil was called at o'clock yesterday 1 afternoon for the appointment of cleo ton inspectors. Members of the eoun- cil are presumed to act as inspectors but as some of them will be unable to be present it was necessary to appoint additional inspectors who will act in case the councilmen are not present i Those appointed are. for the First | ward. j. C. Adams for the Second. $. J. Nicholson: Third, Will Fickas; Councilman Cisney said he would be on the job in the Fourth.
 The polling places and other officials |
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