The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-01-23
Why Municipal Ownership Of the
Lisht Plant.

Light Plant
The latest slogan is community In
terests." 1t means let all the people
work for the interest and benefit of all
the people, 1t means doing work for
the good of all 1t is a protest by all
against capitalism which has overdevel-
oped our individual selfish instincts.
Largely our sympathy for the other
fellows needs has become badly afro
phied. We have always applauded the
man who accumulated a large private
fortune, and have had little use for the
masses who have by the cunning of the
individual been robbed. For fifty years
we have lambasted anyone who sug-
gested team work for the people. If a
man should make such suggestions, we
would call him long-haired populist
from the coolies of Kansas, wild
eyed anarchist of Siberia, or q socialist
from Germany. This was enough to
quiet the widest enthusiast for num-
Der of years. But the thought eontin-
ued to grow that class was continually
growing rich off of the mass, and IN
the last few years radical changes have
been made
We begin to observe that when our
boys entered school, over their protests,
they commenced to do team work; when
they entered any well organized bust
ness, they were forced to do team work,
though they protested and shouted for
individualism, but the general rules of
organized effort brought these obstrep-
erous individualists into band of or
derly workable collectivists.
A man with a vision, when he sees
benefits coming to general society
such as organized church, school and
lodge-will spend years working for
them. He prays for them, he plans
for them, and at his death he endows
them. Yet they never did anything
for him save give him chance to serve
his fellow men. We build monuments
to such men. We make saints ont of
such individuals. Now honor bright,
citizens, would such man be consider
ed mean if he served a cooperative
commonwealth?
1t is now about time to announce
that our ancestors never thought one
hundred per cent perfect on any sub
ject, and it is now time TO break away
from some of the old traditions of the
past and get into newer and better
thought.
We have in the past given our public
benefits to private individuals letting
them rob US. go round and congratulate
them on their success in growing rich,
then fight each-other for voting the
franchise. We have long known that
I've are at the mercy of any cozPorztion.
We viii privately protest, but we act
on the rule, What is everybody's bust
ness is nobody's business" and year In
and year out we are fleeced by these
private money pickers. All this comes
about because of thinking individually
instead of collectively.
In many cities the people are COM
mencing to apply the doctrine of Each
for all'' and saying ''let the people own
the municipal benefits" let the profits
come to all instead of a few private
persons. This huge trsgi-comedy of
the devil-profit that has conjured US
into such a social paradox milling US
around in sweaty stupidity viii have to
die if we win act according to the
teaching of brotherly love.
It will surprise many of you to know
that in Kansas City, Kansas, the people
there only pay cents per kiIowatt for
their electricity because the people own
the plant In Wilson, a town fifty
miles east of Us with population OF
1900, the citizens pay cents kilowatt
for their electricity because they own
and control the electric plant. These
cities, one the largest, one very small
get better Service and at least 200 PEI
cent cheaper electricity than we do.
We pay Is cents per kiiowatt, have
very ordinary service, and no chance o1
ever getting it reduced until we OWL
the plant. The reason for this; These
private corporations work for profit
individual profit.
Suppose we people would get under
our light-plant. question and run it fol
the people instead Of the light plant
corporation, and by so doing save the
people at least $4,000 year and get
infinitely better service, would we not
be doing a real kindness to al for ALL
! This week the Free Press has en-
deavored to give its readers the philos-
ophy of the question. Next week We
shall give as near as possible the doIlar1
and cents part OF it from busines.
stand point.
4 Hays %, Ellsworth Is.