The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-09-28
AN ADDRESS
Continued from first page

late and relleS On IT'S resources ioi
development.
The great bugaboo, increasing
taxation" is paraded prominently,
with the intent Of influencing the
tlmid against the issue of bonds, but
electric lights plants, as
demonstrated, have been the
medium of not only securing to the
light at nominal price,
but the profits derived from such
plants have been applied to the re-
duction of the tax rate.
In the proposed requirement OF a
lighting plant which is to be owned
and operated by the municipality for
the good of all the people, there is
nothing dubious or hazardous, ex-
cept perhaps in the mind of some OF
the citizens having monetary in
terest in the lighting company,
whose monopoly of light would cease
with the operation of the municipal
lighting plant owned by the munich
pality.
II may be remarked that an issue
of bonds for a municipal electric
light plant is unlike the bonds for
street paving. There is a certainty
of profitable return from the cleo
trio light plant, but not cent from
the paving.
The City's Bond Capacity.
IF, as stated, "the bonded debt of
the city is already more than six
hundred thousand dollars it is in
disputable that there is reserved to
the city more than eight hundred
thousand dollars for bond issues
from which may be voted the
amount specified for the acquire
ment of municipal light plant
without impairing the credit of the
city.
1t should be sufficient to say that
the steady increase in the valuation
of the taxable property of the city
will more than warrant the acquire
ment of the present waterWorks
when the time is ripe or when the
city may determine on the construc-
ton and operation of new, modern,
up-to-date plant.
And we may say in this connection
that the constant parading of the
cost of Waterworks, ranging into the
millions, is for effect against the &C
Iquirement of an electric light plant
by the municipality.
Water Not the Issue.
In this address there are some
lminor references which it unneees-
sary to notice except to declare that
we will yield to none, not even the
Imost Jealous advocate of water at
this time in the recognized necessity
of acquiring pure wholesome water,
but water is not the issue now, and
Tits advocacy at present is simply to
ishield the electric light issue. This
lplea for water is intended to influ-
fence whoever may listen to the siren
Isong, and the Establishments of the
| lighting company.
The covert issue is the six years
lcontraet between the City Council
land the lighting company, which has
provoked the disapproval and the
remonstrance of the Citizens Com
imittee which was overruled in the
lGouncil, but from which there is
j pending an appeal through the ref
Ierendum warranted under the sys-
Item of government by commission.
| This appeal may be submitted at
the election fixed to be held on Fri
Iday, October 90, if the bond issue
ishould miscarry.
i Be Not Deceived.
| The purpose of the. lighting COM
pany and its allies and its friends is
Ito defeat the bond issue, and with
the bond issue defeated they will
move heaven and earth If they can
Ito secure a ratification of this six
years contract which from our view
would be equal to calamity, as il
would practically bind the city hand
land foot and monopoly of the
| lighting would become so strong thai
it may defy every effort and every
lattempt at municipal ownership in
1.-THE future.
Il We are advocating and we are
urging the voting of the proposed
lbond issue for the only reason thai
Shreveport, being a progressive city
lshould be aligned with towns and
Icities who are profiting from the adj
yantages and the benefits being de-
rived from municipal ownership.
Pecuniary Interests.
/ We have no pecuniary interest il
| the lighting company, as others, buf
we are possessed of some of tina
Esprit which is characteristic of 9TH
er communities whose boast is thai
their city and their homes and theil
Iplaces of business are lighted BIZ