The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-02-27

VALET MY friends, at my own ex-
pense 1 went to New York and I con-
suited Colonel George Warning, one of
the greatest sanitary engineers in his
day, and ] showed him the editorials
from the newspapers, and he says,
Craft, those are inspired articles writ
ten by the private waterworks corpo-
rations," and says, Colonel, believe
that myself And then 1 says, II
would like to know, sir, as one of the
foremost men and taxpayers in Mobile,
If 1t is true If we would undertake to
have municipal ownership Of water
works, would We lose our money
would we be doing the wrong thing to
have municipal onership of water
works? and he says, mo, Craft, every
municipal waterworks plant in the
United States is producing water
cheaper than private corporations and
that is only a subterfuge to fool the
people, to scare the masses" 1 said,
Colonel, will you please, sir, give me
some idea of what it costs to borrow
money to produce water in politics, or
municipal ownership. as compared
with private ownership" and he got
up key for me. Well, I came back
to Mobile and saw some Of the gen.
tlemen that represented those private
corporations. their bankers who had
financed them, and their attorneys.
paid men, and the press that was sub
sidized. and l had the arguments to
show what were the results, my friends.
We built that waterworks and we have
saved the people in money. not taking
the health and the prosperity and in
crease in values of real estate and
commeree-w.e have saved the people
IN ten years two million dollars as be-
tween private ownership and munich
pal ownership; and during all that
struggle. who were the men that were
trying to becloud the people; who were
the men trying to scare off the peo-
pie? The men that had motives.
Others have known in the city coun-
ell Of Mobile, when was chairman of
the finance committee for great num-
Der Of years; Il am interfering this
as go a1ong), for instance, the occa-
sion when the whiskey tax was taken
away from us, I as chairman of that
committee had to provide ways and
means to run the government. We
were improvfn gall the time our civic
conditions; our policies and every de-
partment Of our government was
being made more efficient and added
to. as we were progressing with the
times. Some men that owned auto
mobile on which we put tax OF seven
and half, think. Well, eight or ten
got up an association and said I'VE are
going to resist the tax and are going
to put the aldermen out, change the
whole government; so am illustrat-
ing this, my friends, to show you the
many conditions which may exist We
had men that probably would have
promoted divisions, and these
same gentlemen represented corpora
tions. but because they couldn't get
sanitary sewers and water turned out
to their property, they became antag-
onistic. Then, we had in Mobile two
telephone systems. had the pleasure
and honor to be president of the Home
Company, and why was the Home
Company organized? Because the Bell
Telephone Company, 50 monopolistic,
was charging unreasonable charges
and giving us poor service. That in
terest wanted to get rid of this Home
Telephone Company; that interest
wanted to raise the rates; that in
terest wanted the commission form
of government. Why? Because they
couldn't control fifteen aldermen very
easy. 1t is q heap easier to put up
three commissioners, and by some in
siduous way or another they could
probably have gotten two Of those
commissioners. See what they did in
Birmingham. What di dthey do with
the commission form of government
there? l say to you, my countrymen
of Pensacola, I have no motive other
than to tell you what is my duty as an
American citizen and what 1 know
from my long experience. What did
they do in Birmingham? They alb
sorbed the competing telephone COM
rany. They couldn't get around the
number of aldermen there because
there were twenty-one % those fellows
they couldn't get them all, but only
few. When the commission form of
government come in there, what did
they do? They allowed the competing
home company that were giving the
people cheap telephone rates and SER
vice to surrender the charter and then
the commissioners, without submitting
ii to the people, raised the rates-al-
lowed the Bell Telephone Company to
raise its rate to two dollars month.
Mr.. Semmes: They did It In Pensa-
cola.
Will DC very Sidu To duShSI InO
gentleman on any proposition he wants
information. 1 am giving you facts: l
am showing you why these agitations
OF doing away with the government Of
your fathers, following false prophets.
icing engendered wit hahtred and
spite, tearing down this beautiful city,
are brought forth, and that I am
amazed at your city's improvements
its civic pride, and I can't see why
every man in this town ought not to
sing the praises Of the men that have
accomplished this work. I want to say
] t. tbs gentleman, IL there is any man
in this room who in his private affairs
has not made mistakes, let him stand
up want to see that man.
began this life and am self-made
man; every dollar made by my own
labor. ! don't belong to any service
corporation, never was subsidized or
employed by any, but I want to say
that I have made mistakes and lost
thousands of dollars that I worked
hard for, and when anybody under
takes to critcise a set Of public ON
Gals because they have some spite or
Interior motive, or want to get an Of