The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-01-06

WHAT mas the City derived in Da5y
years for their generosity in giving
away franchises to enrich foreign ca D.
ital? Nothing, We have been com.
PEELED TO pay excessive rates for
water, light heat, telephone and even
pay to get in and out of our city, in.
creased our taxes and compelled to
bow to the WIN OF the public service
corporations and treated with con.
tempt by them. Many special levies
have been made In order that the
corporations could clip more coupons
II 1t were not for these franchises
would the stock Of these companies
possess the value that they Go? Every
sane man knows 1t would not. Bat
have these corporations been apprc
ciative of the great generosity of the
people of Charleston? So far as. IL
puts money into their pockets, yes,
but their acts In the past and at
present. and so far as feeling an.
moral or legal obligation to render
the people value received no.
What real monetary benefits arc
these corporation to the city? Prec.
ions little. TO be sure we burn gas
as fuel and light. use electricity and
power, ride on the street cars, use
water in homes and places of bust
ness, some Of us use the telephones
cross the Kanawhn RIVER bridge when
we have to. because We do not wish
to swim. But we pay a good round
price fer the privilege.
Do these companies give us back
in the shape of municipal rentals, a
part of what we hand over to them in
the shape of permission to use our
streets, for protecting them agains,
which we pay into their treasures
annually?
No! Some not even good service
II we make just protest against
the eXhorbitant size OF our light heat.
ing or power bills, we are CURLY told
to pay up or Off goes your supply
CT water, gas or electricity But at
the same time owing to defective
machinery or unavoidable circum.
stances the supply OF water, gas or
electricity is shut Off from the con,
sumers there is no pcrcipita BILE change
in our bills when they are presented.
All OF our protests to these corpo
iatlons are in vain and if we protest
to our city officials they appear to be
hyponitized into silent acquiescence
or pulled into submission and the
same applies to the daily press.
And still it is claimed that the pub
lie service trusts benefit Charleston
The only benefits We receive in re.
turn for these franchises is poor Ser
vice. lmpudence of their petty bosses,
the lneaSre wages that are paid their
employees and to furnish such sup
ph9S as they are compelled to pur-
| chase in this city for which we must
wait for our pay until our bills are
passed upon by the coupon clippers OF
| chicago, New York or some other
financial cen;er for which It usually
takes from GO TO 100 days.
Only recently the only nome insti
tuition was gobbled up by the Bell
Telephone Co.. and a merger ordi.
nance railrnaded through by our CITY
officials
mere is limit to human endur
ance and our people are aroused and
VIII arise in their might ailL main
ana demand that our city officials
serve the people for once and refuse
10 grant this franchise which will,
De the first step toward sweeping
corporation blood suckers and their
pubic tools into Oblivion and begin
10 battle for municipal ownership
the initiative, referendum and recall
and rate of taxation, and Dricc eo,
""'er' neat, power. crc.. that will
put Charleston in the 10000 class in.