The Glenwood post., 1917-10-06
CITY TAKES STEPS
TOWARD LIGHTS
Appoints Appraiser for Mu-
tua| and Declares Intention
to Purchase 6Ienwood
A FULL DISCUSSION

The new city hall was dedicated
Thursday evening with an interesting
assemblage of taxpaye ers, drawn there
to discuss the pending negotiation; for
the purchase of the Mutual light plant.
Mayor Kirwan had asked for free
expression of the citizens on the sub
ject and considerable number of our
people responded to HIS invitation. In
fact every chair in tie cosy assembly
room was filled while the board dis
cussed tho problem Of securing light
plant for the city and the best mems
to pursue, looking to that end.
After The transaction Of little
routine business the light proposition
was brought up and Mayor Kirwau
called for an expression Of the people
on the subject.
Mr.. Cross renewed his motion for
the appointment of an appraiser to be
one of three to value the Mutual plant.
Alderman Boseo was the first to
speak and he said be felt that the city
should not purchase the Mutual plant.
With coal at high price and the
probability that it would go much
higher he thought steam plant was
too expensive to be considered and to
purchase this plant would be a bad
business move on the part of the city.
P. H. Oldenburg said that as tax
payer he protested against the purchase
of this plant by the city as it was
nothing but 3 junk pile and getting
worse all the time. He had diagnosed
the Mutual and pronounced it in a
dying condition.
Ole Thorson was not quite sure as
to what his opinion was on the sub
ject, because Of lack Of knowledge on
one or two legal phases of the ques-
tion. He said that after looking up
the records in the office of the Public
Utilities commission he found that the
present rate with the Mutual for street
lighting was about as low as any in
the state. He was in favor of the city
purchasing both existing companies and
combining them and thought action oa
the purchase of both plants should b..
begun at the same time, as that p,un
would be the most satisfactory to ALL
J. 8. Hum thought if the city ia
tended to buy any lights it should buy
them all and thus have municipal
monopoly. The people would support
such movement much more freely
Than any plan to purchase either one Or
the other
Tom Howard said be was and always
had been in favor Of public ownership
of utilities and b" thought this vas
the time to stake with that end in
view.
Alderman Cross then renewed his
motion to pass the resolution prov,d-
ing for the appoin. mcnt of an aprrais.
er for the Mutual pant, the company
to appoint another and these two to
appoint third.
In tie discussion that followed 4.
J. Dickson gave i, SIS his opinion TIN
the people were a, able to the owner
ship of the light lants and the me gsr
of the same and 'l.tugEt that the bes.
plan was to take fteps at the same
time fol the purchase of both plan
as he doubted II the people by ih"ir
vote would sanction the purchase Of
either plant to the disadvantage or
confiscation Of the other plant. Te
thought the resolution might be amend
ed by the addition Of another clause
or two SO that the people would under
stand and the Public Utilities commits
sion would understand that it was tho
purpose Of the city to- purchase both
plants. Lawyer Mayes thought such
an amendment to the resolution would
carry very little weight but Mr. Dick
son said his object was to assure the
people of their good faith, ~ he be-
lieved the people ON vote would re-
pudiate . proposition 70 buy either
plant at the exclusion Of the other.
George Kendrick thought this was
an opportune time to buy the Mutual
and thus maintain the present reduced
price on hghtA
L. H. Hail asked II II were mot
fact that the Mutual had already been
sold to the olenwood Light ani Water
= -