South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-07

There are great many things it advocates as of
immediate necessity 20 the welfare and happiness
of the people Of South Bend
We might say in passing that the party at large
has for many years advocated equal suffrage for
women as with men. In fact, for years it has been
the only political organization that recognized the
intelligence OF women. and today stands for full
citizenship for the members of this sex. And be-
ieving in the equal right OF them 10 hold Office
and Of their ability to properly administer the
duties Of office, have placed at the head of
ticket such a person--Alrs Alice Mannering.
The Socialist party advocates the public owner
ship of all utilities that primarily designed and
exist for the direct benefit of the people such
lighting, gas plants, WaterwOrks, street railways,
telephone system, etc; but the state constitution
says that this cannot be done Agents of the
porationS succeeding in fOOlng the people into vOt-
ing for and amending the state constitution in a
way that limited municipalities expenditures to
Pc on the assessed valuation of all taxable prop
eTty, and now most cities are not even able be
Of this to administer its city or school imam
ces as the need demands We stand for the public
ownership OF the things mentioned above, but
sert it to be foolish to promise the people 10 take
them over when the state constitution forbids. We
advise the people of South Bend and of the state
that favor municipal ownership of public utilities
10 interest themselves in a constitutional cOnven-
ton to the end that may have home rule and
the privilege of owning our public service corpor-
ations if any city should so desire
We also favor the following:
A municipal milk dairy.
A municipal coal yard and a municipality owned
coal mine
Medical inspection of schools
Compulsory eradication of cess-poos and out
houses AID compulsory sewer connection.
An ordinance regulating housing conditions to
the end that every family shall have sunlight and
fresh air
And if elected to office, we pledge ourselves to
strictly enforce all laws regulating vice and liquor
without fear favor, and endeavOr to promote the
moral standard of the entire city.
The street car corporation i'm this city is
operating under what is known a perpetual
franchise, which lasts-forever. This franchise
granted in the year 1855. Ten years later the
assembly of the state of Indiana passed laws pro-
viding that thereafter municipality could grant
a franchise to any public service corporation for
period of time exceeding twenty-five years We
propose that should we be elected to office, TO in
stitute proceedings favOring the amendment of the
aforesaid perpetual" franchise, that the munich
pality may, at its option, procure own and operate
its street system, for the direct benefit of
its patrons, and the community at large
We stand for the elimination of exploitation in
the necessities of life, and for the establishment of
municipal institutions to secure these necessities
for the people at the lowest possible cost.
It has been found that as many as a dozen diff
ferent milk distributors travel over the street
in any given day, adding to the cost of the milk
the waste of unnecessary equipment and labor
thereby incurred. Official reports from the office