The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-12-03
MUNICIPAL OWNER SHlPHEARlNG
Continued from Page One.)

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results would be dissimilar. We have
at Ames: First, the leading business
man in the city devoting twenty years
time to looking after the welfare of
the electric light plant. Second, we
have plant located in the coal district
where the transportation charge is the
minimum, and less than fifty cents a
ton Third, they have city of 1900
inhabitants, augmented by $500 stud
ents, making in the aggregate 800
people, all but about 500 of whom are
served with the electric light plant,
which would make population of 5000
who are users Of the lights, and stud
ents, it is known are accustomed to
use light to carry on their studies at
night. some a single light and some
more than one light.
1t is said that the company is
saved some expense in repairing its
wires by having students from the col
lege in the engineering department
sent, without expense, for the educa-
tlonal benefit it is to them and the ex-
perience which it gives, to repair the
wires when needing attention. This
statement was not given by Mayor
Sheldon, but comes from one who
claims to be familiar with conditions
at Ames.
A special tax of mills is levied on
the property of the city of Ames in
addition to the income from the plant,
to keep it up. If conditions at Deni-
son. for example, are compared with
those at Ames, we find apparently not
many things in common. We may be
able to succeed in securing man
who, as public benefactor, would
give his individual attention to man
aging the plant with as much enthus-
iasm as Mayor Sheldon, but he would
lack the twenty years experience
which Mayor Sheldon has had and
which is an important asset in favor of
the plant at Ames. We do not know
of any such man in Denison waiting
to be called to assume so much re-
sponsibility with practically a nomin-
al salary and we doubt if such per-
son would appear.
Second, we lack the population
which Ames has, because instead of
having 1900 population in Denison we
lave but 1921, according to the last
census, and we have no student pop
ulation OF any considerable numbers
to bring us up to the population, or
much over half of the population OF
AmeS.
Denison is removed so far from the
coal fields that the item of transporta-
ton charges becomes an important
factor Instead of paying less than
fifty cents ton we are paying $l.O7R
ton, freight, and fifteen cents ton
tor unloading, which added to the ex-
pense of the coal, makes it 1927 a
ton, as against -. ton at Ames. 1t
may be said that we pay slightly more
a ton for coal here than is paid at
Ames, but that is caused by the diff
ference of the quality of the coal used
mere and at Ames. The same quality
of coal which is used at Ames has
been tried here and in comparison
with the coal that costs a little more
than that used there it is found in the
long run to be cheaper than that which
is now in use at Ames.
There are other dissimilar condl-
tons between Ames and Denison, but
enough has been mentioned to show
that privately owned plant or mu-
IlClpdl az <1AACo "OuAo W AAASA
successful than the same kind OF a
plant here. If Denison can be assured
that municipality owned plant can be
operated with the same success here
as at Ames, then we would say, by all
means let us have such plant.
AS long as the city council started
an educational campaign to throw
light about the electric light plant sit
uation here and plausibly stated to the
people that their object was to give
the public a chance to become en-
lightened on municipal ownership, we
sincerely hope the educational venture
will be carried further than to content
itself with one lesson, for while the
people of DenisOn are quite as intel
ligent as those of other communities,
it must not be expected that one les
son will be sufficient education to take
up the question of municipal owner
ship.
The council should bring someone
opposed to the question to be heard, or
q, representative of municipal plant
which has failed or been abandoned,
and if the school of education closes
after one lesson the council is liable
to be met with the criticism OF trying
to deceive the people by having one
side of the question alone presented
and leaving the people in the dark as
to the other side.
1t will not do to say that the people
can look up the other side If they de-
sire, because it was the city council
who proposed to educate the people,
and if they do not give both sides an
equal show then it will look as If a
sinister motive prompted the meeting
on Friday night The move which the
city council is now proposing is one
of far reaching consequences and may
affect not only this generation, but
perhaps children of those who are now
here. We believe when the import
ance of this question is understood by
,ne council that every opportunity for
education VIZ. be given.
1t cannot be said the meeting on Fri |
day night furnished the education the
people need before expressing them
selves on the question, because they |
hard but one side. In fact they heard |
of the success of but a single plant
and that is scarcely sufficient to war
rant the statement that the education
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