The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-02-23

other provision was made This is a
line predicament for the taxpavers
CT TINS city to allow to continue and
| grow worse. To give away fran
| chlses, and tax the citizens for
money that should have been col
lected from corporations. is The
most foolhardy proposition that was
ever presented to the public. The
commissioners are not satisfied
with helping the corporations gel
all they can out of the taxpayers but
are. shielding them by not Informing
the public of incidents which occur
and are detrimental to the corpora
tons. A few days ago fire de-
stroyed five homes, corner Herndon
and Gilbert streets, not one word
Was said about the low water press
nfe, as this might have put dam
per on the proposition the Commits
sloners are trying to put through to
buy the wAterworks.
They have assisted the Shreveport
Gas, Electric Light and Power Com
pany to get the most valuable con-
tract that has been let by the city,
and one that will cost the city more
money than any other contract. Had
the city built a gas and light plant
instead, at the present rate of gas
the plant would have been self-sus-
tanning and paid for itself within six
years (the time of contract LETT, and
after that time, the revenue derived
from said plant would have paid the
running expenses of the city, in
stead, the taxpayers must dig up
The Shreveport Gas, Electric Light
and Power Company made more
than 100000 net in 1912. Six years
means an earning of 81 100000 At
the present rate of increased popu-
latlon this amount will be small in
deed. Think for moment what an
ideal plant could have been built for
Si,200000. Think what a valuable
franchise was given a couple of citi-
zens a few weeks ago for them to
speculate on. Since the recall cleo
ton the Commissioners have mis-
appropriated sacred funds, which
makes them criminally liable.
Shreveport is no longer a village,
the actual value of its franchises
can not be estimated. The only sure
way for the city to get value re-
,ceiyed, is to require all corporations
or firms to pay certain per cent of
it's gross receipts, and not grant
franchise without . good sized bond
being given TO insure the city
against Spectators, etc. Speaking of
corporations, wish to call your at
tention to the fact, like "Hamlet's
ghost" the Traction Company apr
peared lin the lime light" asking for
a franchise to begin % years from
the date Of grant. This Hamlet's
ghost has gotten three franchises on
the promise of transfers and t-2
to 3 cents fare for school children.
They have never given a transfer,
nor have they allowed school chill
dren to ride for i-2 or cents fare
THAT is up to few days ago.. A
man who will lie once, what would
you expect of him afterwards. (Nuf
sed).
Please notice the difference be-
tween the City of Shreveport and
other cities: The City of Fort Worth
received from the traction company
last year S22,577; the City of Nash
vile $4,000; the City Of Atlanta,
Ga, $4,000; the City of Dallas and
many other cities require the trac-
ton company to pay per cent OF
its gross earnings for the privilege
of running cars over the streets.
The City of Shreveport has never
received dollar from the Traction
Company, or any other public util-
ity. This "all going out and nothing
coming in" will bankrupt any city.
Fellow laborers, as long as this
city is predominated over by c.
porations and corporations commits
sioners, just so long will the labor
ing man be the sufferer. Take the
history of any country, it matters
not whether they are ruled by mon !
archs or corporations, the laborer
must 'pay the fiddler" A man who
will not profit by the experience of
other men, or city that will not
profit by other cities, deserves to be
engulfed in the arms of the octopus
greed" To allow this state of af-
fairs to continue, and allow the
of this city to give
''free grants" to corporations the
assets of the city, simply means
sooner or later, and
should cause every citizen in the
City of Shreveport to hang his head
in shame as the citizens of other
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