Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-08-27
The Amendments.

JEFFERSON CITY, August 15.-The
second of the series of arguments on
the measures to be submitted to vote
at the coming election was issued to-
day by Secretary of State Cornelius
Roach. Those wishing to vote in
telligently on Number Two should pre-
serve this article. The sole purpose
in giving these arguments is to fur
nish information to the voter, and the
Secretary of State is in no way re-
sponsible for assertions made on either
side of any subject discussed.
The reasons why Amendment No. 2
should be adopted are as follows:
This amendment affects Kansas City
alone. The constitutional limitation
on debt making of the city to five per
cent of the value of taxable property
therein has always been barely
sufficient to enable the city, rapidly
developing, to pay for necessary
public Mork. By amendment, in 1902,
Of the Constitution, waterworks
bonds of st. Louis and of Kansas City
are excluded from such limitation.
This amendment (No. p authorizes
the city to acquire, by condemnation
or purchase, such public utilities as
the gas plant, electric light plant and
the street railway property, if the
owner is not complying with its OBJ
legations, and issue bonds, not to ex-
ceed twenty per cent of the value of
the taxable property in the city in
payment thereof. Such bonds will
not not be payable out of taxes col
lected, but will be liens only against
the utility on account of which they
are issued, and will be paid out of
the earning, or by sale, of such utility.
Such bonds can not be issued without
the assent of thirds of the voters
of the city voting at an election to be
held for that purpose. The possession
of this power will enable Kansas City
not only to acquire public utilities, if
it elects to do so, but will also oper-
ate a powerful protection against
abuses and violations by private cor
porations of their obligations to the
public.
Those opposed to the measure set
forth the following reasons why
Amendment No. 2 should be voted
down:
(1) The proposed amendment is
too broad in its scope as to the char
acter and kinds of business in which
Kansas City or any other city ought
to be permitted to engage.
10 Excessive bonded Indebtedness
Gas would undoubtedly result if all the
powers be exercised by the city per-
mitted under the proposed amend
ment), is saddling debt on future
generations that ought to borne by
this one.
(3) 1t is likely to put into politics a
matter that ought to kept segregated
therefrom if the good of the public is
sought.
az 1t will greatly increase the tax
rate of the city if it should own all the
public utilities, and the public gener-
ally would receive no greater benefits
than it might already be getting.
(5) If the purpose of the amend
ment is to create club to regulate
privately owned public service in
stitutions Gas might possibly be inn
piled by the last two sentences OF the
resolution then it is useless, as oul
Public Service Commission is fully
and rightfully authorized and en-
powered to regulate all such utilities
And on the other hand if the purpose
be to enable parties who may owl
public utilities, which are not profit
able, to unload the same upon the
public by means of artificially created
popular clamor, then the public need
the protection of the Constitution a
it is written.
(6) If there be sufficient reasons
for the adoption of such resolution
this one ought be defeated, because i
is local in character. If the owner
ship of all public utilities is advan
tageous to Kansas City, it is equal
ly true as to all cities, and all shoult
have such rights.