The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-03-08
Attempt Will Be Made to Ignore
T., Municipal Ownership of Light
ing Plant, But People Should.
Not Permit 1.-two Leading
Weekly Papers Will Stand
Guard.
WILL SEE THAT ISSUE =
IS KEPT IN FOREGROUND
Many Candidates For Mayor and
Commissioners Have Good Rec
. ords and Are Pledged To Ac-
quire a City Owned Lighting
Plant - However, Some Are
Trimming. =

At the meeting of the Ministerial
association held at the Y. NJ. c. "A.
Monday morning, several candidates
for mayor and commissioners told
Duluth preachers of their position on
Social, moral and economic questions
now before the people. Some Of the
candidates requested the privilege Of
speaking, while others came upon in
Vitation. Much time was devoted to
discussion Of the closing of saloons
and the control of the social evil:
The preachers were somewhat
broader in their view of public ques-
tions than they are generally credited
With being. 1t was surprising to note
how many Of them took an active
interest in municipal ownership. In
deed, more than half of the time of
the meeting was devoted to a discus,
sion of this question. Every candi-
date was asked to define his position
thereon.
Will Keep 1t in Background.
The news report Of the meeting in
the evening paper contained no refer
ence whatever to the. discussion that
took place on municipal ownership.
1t is evident that an effort will be
ma de On some Of the fpa-s
.pars to iEneEe n u nieipar ownsrsfffp In
the campaign for the election of com.
missioners. 50
The old question Of saloon regula-
ton and the social evil will be given
prominence, but the people will be
w ko1
important issue in the contest-the
municipal ownership of the electric
lighting plant-will be held In the
background.
Let the people Of Duluth be not
again deceived. A year ago they
voted by a decisive majority that the
city should go into the electric light
ing business. A mayor. and city
council were elected with a specific
direction by the people to carry out
their will and to- take immediate
steps to promote the principle Of
municipal ownership. This mandate
has not to this day been carried out.
If. at this election, men are chosen
as commissioners who are either
lukeWarm or opposed to municipal
ownership, it will be. four years be-
fore they will again have an oppor-
tunity to elect men who can be de-
pended upon to carry out the will
of the people.
Two Papers in Fight.
There are two newspapers in Du-
luth, The Labor World and the Week.
ly Record, which propose to keep the
light of municipal ownership burning
throughout this campaign, If the
daily newspapers fail to serve the in
terests of the people, and to pub
lish the news relative to municipal
ownership, these two weekly papers
can be depended upon to make the
fight for the people of this city.
.s.gThe Labor World takes this on
portunity to reiterate the position
it has always. taken on municipal
ownership. We believe in it en-
phatically and uncompromisingly; we
believe in it even if it would cost
more money for a municipal plant to
do business than it now costs a pri-
vate plant. We believe in it. because
We know the removal. of every spe-
cial interest from the influence of
politics inr this community will help
to raise the standard Of our local
government, and it will become easier
to elect clean men to public office
without being required to make pre-
election deals to insure their election,
Public Ownership Will Pay.
However, The Labor World has no
fear about the success Of municipal
ownership when once it shall have
been given a fair trial. If the local
lighting company, after paying divi-
dends on an excessive capitalization
and interest on a high bonded indebt-
edness. can make success out of
the lighting business, the people of
this city surely can sell light to con-
sumers and save to them the amount
of money that is now being paid in
dividends to the stockholders of the
private company. The same saving
to the people that was affected
through the. city's ownership of the
gas and water plant. will be realized
by the, purchase of the electric light
ing plant. 81 ~ -.:," II. .s
No friend Of municipal ownership
in Duluth Duluth should vote for a single
candid late for mayor or commissioner
unless he states positively that he il
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