The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-03-29

It's somewhat difi1cult to under- stand just now how the wave of mu- nicipal ownership reached Nome But like the prohibition wave last year it seems to have hit up the burg with considerable force, and although the prophet is seldom honored at home, the Industriai Worker will venture to predict that the three propositions: municipal lighting plant, a municipal pumping plant and municipal coal yard win receive a considerable endorsement at the polls.
 We do not know who has done the figuring in the matter of munich pal lighting plant, and who has stu died out what the cost to the city of the juice would be. All seom to be agreed that 1t would be less than 25c. a kilowatt, and no doubt they are correct. It's coct of distribution and the outlay for maintenance are matters that so far no ono has yen- tured to consider--if they have, they have kept it to themselves.
 A pumping plant that would be always ready is without question :" necessity. But the city seems to have fallen down even more than the Power Co., in the matter or keeping the present system up to the stand- ard necessary for proper protection against fire.
 1t is the duty of the city to keep the sucton and the pumps and the water mains in good order and wheis they are not in good order it $ the city's fault One councilman said that there is a divided rcsponsibil- ity, and in such a very important matter there should be no such thing. Accordingly tEe city should have full control and operation or the plant.
 That is correct. But that docs not excuse the city for allowing the pumping plant to be blocked with ice, for under contract, that is the city's duty
 For several days Nome during the last week or so VEG absolutely at the mercy of any big fire. Tho mains were blocked with ice and COZ siderable sum has had to be paid out to clear them. Responsibility for that rests not on the power com pany, although report has made them goat, but upon the Fire De partment, and uNg Eeft;"c"blf one ot the matters which the incoming coun cil will have to look after is to sec that such q condition cannot be re- peatcd. Moreover before Gny discus sion as to a municipal pumping plant is in order, it would appear to Gn outGider that a greater degree Of attention should be paid by the city to it's functions as at present exist. And care should be taken to prevent any such condition ex- isting as that through the careless ncss of the city, the people should be left at the mercy of fire.
 The ;de2 of r2unicipGl coal yard involves none of the attendant risks that affect tho establishment of a pumping Gnd lighting plant. The idea hes unquestionably originated because of the bad quality Of the coal that is now furnished Nome and it's high cost.
 There is $ general belief in Nome that the company distributing this coal is charging all tho traffic viii boar. Some of the coal iS so poor in quality that the rare Jumps that one gets glimpse of rcmcin in the stove as if fire proof. Ard we beg leave to say that it's tho first time we have ever heard of such a thing as fire proof coal. The coal prop ably is quantity shipped in several years ago and in the process of time disintegrated into dust and slack out of which the gaseous and such infiammable substances that make . good quick fire, have long ago escaped.
 All of these things have caused dissatisfaction; to pretend otherwise is to pretend other than is. the fact The public feels that it has not re- .ceived proper service from the coal yard and believes that municipal yard could do better and if not al any rate, could not do much worse.