The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-06
Gives cosent Reasons Why the Voters
Should Accept the Stone & Web
ster street Car and Electric
Franchises.
WILL HELP BUILD CITY
VIVA. Stone & Webster Have Done
for Galveston and Other Cities
They can do for keokuk-
our Big Opportunity.

The following communication from
property owner contains many per-
tinent reasons why the voters OF Keo-
kuk should endorse the franchises to
be voted upon next Monday at the
special election:
To the Editor CT The Gate City:
Will you permit a Keokuk property
owner to state few reasons for adj
yocating the Stone & Webster utilities
franchise?
The giving to Keokuk and vicinity OF
from $4,000, 900 to s5,o0O,O0o in improve
ments will be of immense advantage.
The spending OF that much money in
and for community means much.
A considerable sum will be paid for
labor right here. Even If this were
for something that did not directly eff
feet the welfare of the city it would
be a good thing to pay that much to
labor. And it will be put into some
thing that will help build up our city
at once.
Think what lines of electric cars
running out into the country in var
ious directions will mean for the rapid
growth of this community.
But some one says let the city own
its public utilities.
My friend, Keokuk cannot raise the
money necessary to build and equip
the needed public utilities. Stone &
Webster, however, are able and de-
sire to spend a large amount here,
much more than we possibly can for
ourselves.
They seldom invest in as small a
place as Keokuk, but they desire to
make this city an object lesson to
show how rapidly they can build up
place by electrical power, and GER
tainly we should be willing to be thus
benefited by them. We should be
very foolish to refuse to let them
spend SO large an amount of money
on public utilities here.
Stone & Webster have had extensive
experience in building up cities. The
officials Of Galveston, Texas, declare
that they did more for Galveston, af-
: ter the food than 1t could possibly
have done for itself And they can do
more for Keokuk than 1t can do for
itself
The leading men OF Keokuk the
commissioners, the Industrial Associa-
tion, editors of the daily papers,
: Judge William Logan, Alex
tombstone, and our great engineer,
Hugh L. Cooper, who risked his pri-
vate fortune to promote the Water
Power, all advocate the Proctor fran
chise
\ Judge Logan believes that the re-
\ fusal Of Stone and Webster's offer
would retard the growth of this com
munity for many years. We know that
Judge Logan has our city's interests at
heart For twelve years he patiently
and persistently labored for the wa
ter power project. spending his time
and strength without recompense.
When the call was urgent he took
long trip for this enterprise though at
mat time his health was in so precar-
lous condition that the journey en-
dangered his very life This hero OF
our city is anxious for large, de-
clsive vote for this franchise, as he
and others believe that If we refuse
Stone Webster's proposition we
snail not nave another as advantag-
eous in the next twenty years For
lhese reasons and many others may
! urge every voter to come to the
poles next Monday, vote for the Proc
10Y franchise and then help to usher
IN the era of a new and Greater keo-
kuk.
A TAXPAYER.