The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-07-23
PREPARE TO FIGHT.


the books are closed. Those who have
at heart Tie affairs of the community
to sush an eXetent as to want to have !
voice in the acquiring of the electric
light plant will now spend the remain
ing time in laying plans for winning
the issue. Likewise, those opposed
will set stakes to hold the plant TO!
the New York interests that now op
crate it.
1t is a comparatively small number
who will decide the issue. Three OF
four hundred voters are to settle the
matter for a community of eight tc
nine thousand people. We are happy
that the people have been given chance
to decide for themselves. We regret
that there are not more of them reg
istered though they may not be will
us incur desire to see the city own the
plant. Democratic government is
working at its best when it safeguards
the way for every free citizen to eX
press himself as he wishes in public
matters. 1t is a fine freedom for the in
dividual. In spite of corruption tina
is reputed as q common i'll in the gov
eminent of American cities, we still.
love the privilege of doing as We
please about the public affairs thta
concern us.
Our strongest appeal now is to the
voter who wishes his municipal gov
eminent to have control of the electric
light and power plant The man who
would see this fine utility come back
to its rightful owners is going to be
stormed with arguments, wire-pullint
and chacinery during the next ten days
as he has never been pestered before
The corporation that has such firm
grasp on our electric lighting service
has faced such issues many, many
times. In fights of this kind, they are
the oldest rats in the barn. The!
have diagnosed many cases just sucl
as they are confronting in Cordele to
day. Other cities have shaken then
off, one by one Many more are righi
now busy releasing themselves. In
the north and east this company would
never have an opportunity to OWL
this splendid property. No municipal
government the size of Cordele or lar
ger permits an electric power utility
to go into the hands of private capital
1t is far too profitable as a public
property j. G. White & Company, the
Southern Utilities Corporation, ant
the Cordele Electric Company are go
ing to put Willie Bivins up to many 6
sly bit of business before this thing
is over. They are not coming out il
the open, themselves. William is a
local boy about whom the people say
good things sometimes and they know
it. This corporation now has through
its local manager the name of every
individual who is registered for this
bond fight. Its chief officers are work
irg down every avenue and up every
lane. They have already figured care
fully the actual number of voters who
must be won in order to retain theil
hold And their order is out That
number must be had Willie is going
to give you very pleasant invitation
to help save their hold on the situa
ton.
Good QUEENS, don't you ever permit
yourself to be fooled about this thing
Our lighting plant is worth at leas;
$4,000 q .ear in clear profits to us
and free street lights and white way
on the present charge for current. Al
hany tells us she built her splendid
auditorium from her electric light and
power earnings on &c charge fol
lights and much less for power. And
they do not operate on water as it is
asserted by those who cannot explain
the fine showing in any other way
They run a steam plant just as We
would do. We could pay for our plant
out of rate of cents per killowatt
hour and still have free street lights
and our white way. We could pay fol
it at price such as the private own
ers paid when they took it. Do yol
believe they would ever have paiC