The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-11-23

Other Cities OWn Their Public Utilities, Why
Not Charleslcn
(BY mr.. CLAYTON

| Citizens of Charleston, through
| the loyalty of our council we have
Won great victory; we have de-
| feated the proposed water fran
chlse. After having won the victory
shall We gather its fruits, or shall
we lie supinely on the flat of our
! backs until the water works company
| again fastens it's coils about us. They
seek TO bind MS, in spite of ourselves.
They have bought newspapers to use
| against us, they will soon offer us
! another franchise with one days no
tice as in the case of the now IA
| nous telephone merger. Let us be
awake and doing every moment This
| is your city Do not expect a few
individuals to fight all your battles,
come forward with your might and
your purse to the battle line, and let
us hold the ground we have Won
Let us build fortress on this con-
1uered field that will never topple,
and that wind and water will not
wear away. Let us buy the water
works, take notice that the water
Company ana its paid agents are the
only individuals that say we connor
buy it. lIaves they a motive for say
ing this? The following figures an
, ." ~ tiiS luSSIloh.E L ne E5TOSS &c
ceipts of the water company for the
year 1910 We're s171,377.0O. AT
this rate of income, did the city.ow
the plant, it would pay for itself in
from three to five years. The water
works company and it's agents say
the plant is making them no money.
Why, then do they not want to sell
it? Did you ever hear of a mer-
chant who wichoi fn h;
seeking to discourage his prospective
buyers? How many OF you, Oh, peo-
pie of Charleston, are willing to ad-
nit, or will ever be willing to admit.
that the city of your home, the city
of your family, and those you love,
cannot do what other cities have
done. and are doing every day; can
not do what -PaINs1 sbure, Marietta,
Fairmont, Morgantown, CIarksburg,
Wheeling and Martinsburg have
done? In these cities the rates are
from three hundred to five hundred
Eer cent lower than they are in this
city; these cities own their water
works; these cities provide 4 sink
ing fund with which to retire their
bonds; these cities find a handsome
surplus to their credit at the end of
each year, accumulated from the in
come OF the water plant. These
titles lay no leVies for the support OF
their water system. These cities paid
no money for their water system, but
allowed the system to pay for itself:
these cities loudly proclaim the
great advantage of municipal owner
snip; these cities are thoroughly
pleased with city-owned water works
and would have no other viii you
listen to those whose utterances are
prompted by self interest, willie they
tell you Charleston cannot do what
all the other cities in West Virginia
have done, and that what is good
for all other cities would not be good
for Charleston? List not to those
who are paid to howl calamity at
| you. but keep alive forever in your
bosom that flame of pride which tells
you that what other cities have done
Charleston can DO and do it better
Let not cowardly Indifference and
personal interest blind YOU You
| should be proud of the fact that for
once at least, you have d city council
that stand faithfully by their duty.
| and sacredly justify the confidence
You have placed in them. Stand by
them and hold up their hands, for
| already the tread of the gum-shoe oe
| is heard in the land. You by their
assistance have won the first battle,
though unassisted by the daily news
papers which You support by your
subscription and your advertise
ments. The editors of the daily
newspapers howl calamity at you,
and say You cannot do anything con-
structive- Be not deceived. We be-
seech you. by those who are paid
to dope and deceive you. The mana
ger of the Daily Gazette, voted i,
council for the loathsome and infa-
nous franchise. which the council
! recently defeated The owners OF
/ the Gazette are attorneys for the
! water company. Citizens of Char
lesion, know your friends and trust
them, seek ont your enemies and
watch them. There are those who
while pretending to be. YOUR friends
in this fight. are. with all their com
3ined force and energy. seeking tc
throttle you. to foist upon you bonds
for city parks. public library. useles;
market house and a free bridge
watch them. they only seek 70 con
sumo the city'S funds in order tc
make it too poor to purchase the
: water works. Citizens of Charleston
they are not your friends. heed no
their teaching, and when other day!
} shall come, forget them not Be no
blinded BY partisarism. let not per
sonal interest enslave you, be free
make your city so.