The Mena weekly star., 1913-12-04
MUNICIPAL LIGHTS 1 AGAIN CONSIDERED Mayor ScOggin Urges Bond Issue to Construct PIant-Opposition in Council. Says He Offered Best Contract That Has Come Before City, With
 S5O,OOO Guarantee.
MANY CITIZENS TALK
Exnerience With Water Works Sys- fem Has Driven Some to Oppose City Taking More Steps Along
 Municipal Ownership Lines.

If Mayor A. H. Scoggins program
 is carried through, the municipal
 lighting proposition started in Mena
 several years ago, will be revived,
 a commission appointed and city
 electric light plant built.
 A letter was read before the city # council Tuesday night from G. l..
 Chapman, which was published In
 Tuesdays Star in which he stated
 he could not accept five-year con- < tract.
 Councilman Davis stated that he
 had written MT. Chapman to the
 effect that he thought the council # would agree to tive-year contract. # That Mena should have lights and # was back number" without them.
 "The proposition was good one
 and the best that has been present. $ ed. We cant always have our own way
 Report on G. L. Chapman's Standing
 Perhaps this is the best propo- # sition that has come before this council, replied the mayor, but in
 March I submitted a contract to 4 build a plant and furnish i00-watt lights for $l. .2S per month and put up T a S50,000 bond as a guarantee. This would give the city two and one half times as much light for the 4 same price asked by MT. Chapman. & l would not consider putting in the 8 light plant now. l have had com mercial reports from two banks at S Newman, H., where Mir. Chapman # lives, and they give him a financial \ rating of from 5000 to S4,000. l
 have had this information quite a # while consider Mir. Chapman a # hot air proposition. l am in favor Il of lighting the town and we can do 1t if We will put in municipal plant 1 did not want Mr. Chapman to have franchise, because l did not consider him financially able to light the town. MT. Chapman told me that if he was granted fran chlse he would not buy the Tom linson brothers plant, but would establish one of his own. The town has been dark now for three years, and in my opinion the way to get lights is by establishing munich pal plant. The people expressed themselves as in favor of this method at mass meeting several months ago, and I believe they still favor the proposition. am heartily In favor of reviving the municipal ownership proposition"
 Council for 5-Year Contract. The members of the council ex- pressed themselves as in favor of a contract, but not to exceed five years.
 Councilman Jackson was opposed to a municipal plant, as were, ap- parently, most of the others. Il do not think Mena is ready for municipal plant" said Councilman Davis. The water system, under municipal ownership, has given anything but satisfaction and has cost the taxpayers too much"
 No one can show where one cent has been spent by the water com mission in which the people did not get full value for their money" re- piled MT. Scoggin. There was never any complaint until John Thompson got out an injunction against the Tomlinson brothers; then the press of the city jumped on hlm and the commission solely on that account. The reason the system Is not on paying basis is because the people do not patronize It; and for the same reason the sewer system does not pay"
 The mayor asked the taxpayers present to express their views on a municipal light plant.
 M Martiny said he was heartily m iaVor of municipal plant, and told of the experience of his for nler nome city. The plant there was erected in 1908, and since that uay there has been Si7,0O0 expended III extensions and improvements ana a sinking fund of 5000 created ou' or the earnings of the plant.
 Present Condition Disgrace.
 , am not in favor of municipal Ilsnts or water system" said c. l.. nUoinridge. T much prefer an equitable contract with private VWmners. W.s. The present condition in aeha IS disgrace. I do not favor a teh-year contract--five years is nIns Jns enough. I prefer a municipal nave lights" " ~
 '' A. Thornton: q would like to
 lCOntinnnd nn Ennnlh nAA