South Bend news-times., 1913-11-15
HOW-UNFTT.

SOUTH BEND-On the ground
that the present city administra-
ton is unfit TO award the present
lighting contract Of South Bend.
leaders or the citizens movement.
which recently elected Fred W.
Keller mayor. held p meeting here
and passed rc1l0lutiOns asking
that the public utility commission
OF Indiana look into the matter.
The above. taken from an article i'm
the Indianapolis News Thursday. is
typical OF certain sort of tainted
news articles that were seat out OF
South Bend from the office Of the
South Bend Tribune throughout the
recent campaign, whose net result was
to hold the city up to ridicule and
shame before the people Of Indiana.
Whatever possible shadow Of justi-
1cation there may have been during
the campaign for carrying partisan
prejudices into news stories intended
for the information Of people in other
cities. it does not seem that any can
exist now.
The election is over. Why continue
to revile the best city in Indiana?
From the point OF view of honest
journalism such practices are never
justihable. and are not permitted on
many clean newspapers. From the
viewpoint Of ethics and Of city loyalty
the practice is absolutely indefensible.
Moreover what does the Tribune
mean by telling the people OF Indiana
that the present administration is
unfit TO let a lighting contract
The renewal of that contract when
it expired under terms the most ad-
vantageOus TO the city has been a mat
ter Of careful consideration by the city
FOR most Of the past four years For
two years the administration has been
gathering statistics from other cities.
inquiriug into the conditions, the
amount OF light its efficiency, the.
hours used. and the like, to the end
that South Bend should be ready to
nct when the proper time came with
intelligence and knowledge. The en-
gineering department Of the city has
given the closest study to the problem.
has gone over scientific reports. and
studied conditions. SO as to give the
city the benefit of the expert advice of
the best engineering thought OF the
country.
If the present electric company was
not willing 20 make substantial reduc-
tions. what was the alternative? This
was one question considered. The city
tried TO stir up competition. To that
end bids were asked for one year in
advance Of the time of awarding the
contract and well before the present
contract was TO terminate. so that if
outside capital could be brought i'm to
lower present rates, that it would be
given time to construct its plant and
erect its poles and string it's wires
To this vigilance on the part of the
city. was due much credit for the con-
siderable reduction i'm the electric
compeny's offer last week as compared
with the present rates.
The new administration is almost
entirely composed of men unframed
in public affairs, unacquainted with
city problems. lacking not perhaps in
zeal and honesty and good intentions
but certainly in the technical knowl-
this situation rightly
Some honest differences of opinion
may exist as 10 whether the present
or the incoming city administration
should handle the ligh< matter. But
there is no occasion for these attacks
on the city sent ont To outside news
papers by a South Bend institution.