Arizona republican., 1910-01-11
ID POPULAR VOTE. Municipal Ownership Election
 Called For Feb. 24 COUNCIL IS UNANIMOUS
If the Election Carries Con- Igress Will Be Asked to Grant Permission to
 Phoenix to Bond Itself For $3OO,OO0.

! the city of Phoenix will decide at the polls whether or not the city shall ask congress for an enabling act permit ting the city to bond itself in the sum of not more than s300.000 for the pur- pose of acquiring a municipal electric. gas and power plant
 In spite of some opposition to the project the city council so decided at its regular meeting last night. The vote was unanimous.
 Before the largest crowd of citizens and prominent business men that has ever pressed into the council chamber the question of municipal ownership was discussed and finally put to a Vote. Almost every square foot of space in the room was occupied. by far the large majority standing up.
 Some preliminary business was dis posed of while awaiting the arrival of an absent councilman. When every councilman was in his seat the resolu- ton calling for an election was read. ' The mayor asked if there were any present who desired to speak on the subject. There were no replies. A motion was then made and seconded that the resolution be adopted. Then as it was about to be submitted to vote the first speaker arose and pro- | tested against the measUJe on the ground that the action was nasty and that the city was more in need of sewers and paved streets than lower | light bills. He was followed by a score of men nearly all of whom spoke in the same vein with variations. The general argument. against the propo- sition was that it might interfere with the plans of the city for obtaining sewer system which was unanimously regarded as the more important. It was pointed out by other speakers that the sewer plans were so well along that part of the system at least will be laid by the time the final election> passing on municipal owner ship comes before the people. An ad- dtional argument was that the election is not to cost the city cent. The cost. whatever it will be, was guaran teed by a body of business men and list of election officials, who it .is understood will donate their services. was presented to the council.
 The election of February "A will be simply an expression of opinion of the tax payers of Phoenix and will not be final decision in the matter. It is simply to determine whether or not congress shall be asked tn permit Phoenix to bond herself. It is to be an election of tax payers though there was some effort to have all qualified voters included. As the final election har NilI only those on the last tax roll to vote. this was overruled.
 Those who addressed the council and their remarks in brief are as follows:
 Elliot Evans: Tn asking congress for the right to bond ourselves it seems to me that we are going ahead. at this time. just little too fast. There are more important things at this time than the reduction of our lighting bills. We should settle the sewer question first and then there will be time enough to take up munich pal ownership of lighting plant. or force the present company to reduce its rates"
 Dr. H. H. Stone: Tt is a question of health or cheap light, and I think that you will all agree that the first is the more important. Who has fur nished this estimate of $300.000? How do we know that it will be sufficient to meet the requirement? Pasadena started out on a basis of $150,000 and has already increased it to s400, 900. Let's have sewers first and take care of our health and let's have streets that we do not have to wade through
 
 electric plant in this city some years ago and 1 think l know little about the business. Municipal ownership of electric plants has proved more or less of a failure. Cities in California which have tried it are now leasing their plants to corporations. They cannot make them pay. It is a. detail busi- ness like the grocery business and re- quires more careful management than d sewer or a water plant"
 Roy Goodrich: "I have been in favor of municipal ownership for wa ter works and a sewer plant but I have grave doubts about it's being the best thing in the matter of an electric plant. There are no statistics to show that it has proved a strong success in 
 in presenting the matter to the people and letting them decide. I believe that the rates charged in Phoenix are too high but would it not be better to ap- point commission to confer with the owners of the electric plant and find out their profits on correct valuation of the investment and see what terms could be made provided their profits are excessive?"
 Judge Ainsworth: I'm opposed to municipal ownership. I opposed the ownership of the water works and be- lieve today that we pay just as much for water as we ever did and double the amount of taxes. My idea is for the council to fix just rate as they do in New York and other cities. As