Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-02-06
The March of Progress.

Tie INITIATIVE ana referendum TO
regain the rights that had been
taken from them and given to
corporations Just now we are
having that prediction verified.
To avoid a submission of a ques-
ton to the people one corpora
ton has surrendered and is beg
ging for it's existence. Keep
your eyes on Ohio. 1t is blazing
a path that all the States will
eventually follow.
y y
The Cincinnati Traction Com
pany has fifty year franchise
in that city, and in keeping with
the policies of most corporations
it assumed "the-public- damn
ed" attitude. But Cincinnatians
realized the power the recent a.
mendments gave them, and Rep
resentative Biglow introduced a
bill in the legislature revoking
the franchise. Under the new
rule, whether the bill passed the
legislature or not, the people
could demand a referendum on it
and revoke the franchise by pop
ular vote. Hence the Traction
peoples surrender. They offer
to surrender the fifty year fran
chise and accept an indetermi-
nate one, giving the city the right
to take over the property at will.
- ~
The public discussion Of the
matter has given Cincinnatians
some new ideas in the matter
and it is only a matter Of a short
time until the city will take over
the street railway and run it fol-
the benefit of the people That
city will be the pioneer of oul
larger cities in the acquiring and
operating the public utilities. II
will lead in the movement that
will take from private ownership
the utilities that are public in
their nature. The time is at hand
when national, state and munich
pal governments must take over
and operate for the benefit of the
people all means transportation
European cities long ago learn
ed that street railways, light
plants, water works, etc., were
properly the functions Of the mu
inequalities, and they run them TO
the benefit of the people, giving
better service, cheaper rates anC
use the income to defray the cit!
expenses. The adoption of the
Iniatitive and Referendum viii
put the power to do these thing
in the hands of the people, ant
in less than two decades tn
American cities will be operat
ing and owning the street rail
ways, lighting and heating
plants, waterworks and all o.
the utilities that are by their ma
ture public utilities.
y -
And it will grow and spread
The one months experience wit
the parcels post has opened tn
eyes of the people to the gigan
tic eXtortion that has been prac
ticed by the express companies
and they will naturally learn tina
the railroads are doing the sam
thing to them in freight rates
and soon such a howl will go u
that the National governmer
will have to take over the raj
roads, telegraphs and telephone
and operate them for the people
These things are just as muc
public service functions as I'll
mail service and the publ
schools, and the people will NJ
long permit them to remain
the control of private individual
y y
With the public ownership
the means Of transportation WI
come the greatest developmel
of the country that has ever bee
known. Railroads, under pr
vate ownership, are not built
benefit the people, and much
the country is kept undevelop,
until such time as it suits capt.;
liner public ownership railroa
would be built to all parts of t
country, and under one syste
the operating expenses would
reduced and we would have b
ter service and lower rates, al