The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-02-12
MUNICIPAL LIGHTING
PLANT FOR MADISON
TWO PROPOSITIONS BEFORE THE
CITIZENS FOR DECISION.
BUILD MUNICIPAL PLANT
THE NORTHERN STATES POWER
CoMPANY,s PROPOSITION A
DIFFUSION AND A SNARE.

In the loss of the lighting plant by
fire Madison has been greatly handi-
capped for some months and not only
have u people suffered great incon-
venience because of the insufficiency
of light and motive power, but there
has sprung up a contention regarding
the matter of supplying light and
power to the city in the future.
AT an election last fall the people
decided, supposedly for once and for
all, that a municipal plant should be
erected. Bonds were issued, and,
through the city commission, were
placed on sale. Bids were sent in
accompanied by certified checks as
an assurance of good faith and rep
resentatives from large banks and
bond houses came to Madison at
great expense to be present at the
time the bids were opened and make
their best offerings On the pur-
chase of these city securities. The
large number of bids made for the
bonds and the presence of SO many
representatives all indicated that
the sale of said bonds would be an
easy matter. And, furthermore, it
denoted that large money lenders
had faith in our city's ability to re-
deem those bonds at their respective
dates of maturity. This all looked
like good business. The willingness
of the people to vote the bonds and
the readiness of bankers to purchase
them, yer going so far as to bid on
them, gave the impression that this
was a transaction voluntarily enter
ed into, and. with good faith, about
to be closed in true business fash
ion, but the people of Madison have
been greatly fooled; this almost COM
pleted transaction has proved a huge
farce. The time spent in going to
the polls to vote for a. municipal
plant and the time the city commits
sion has used in discussing the peo-
pies proposition and decision to
build has all been SO much time SIM
ply wasted. Somebody is nightly
responsible for the awkward posi-
tion the citizens of Madison now find
themselves in. Their faith and good
Judgment have been questioned. In
sidiously they have been almost
brought to believe that they do not
know what they want and that they
are incapable of determining what Is
best for their beautiful city. The
citadel of their legal prerogatives
have been ruthlessly attacked both
from within and from without. That
they have decided to build their own
lighting plant goes for naught--no
consideration for that. That they
have voted bonds for the erection of
their own plant goes for naught-no
consideration for that. In a word,
the wishes of the people have been
trodden under foot and they are re-
quested to reverse a decision made ir
good faith and by legal procedure
This has caused confusion and now
there has sprung up another propo-
sition to claim their attention, thus
making the confusion of mind all the
more confused.
How many times must the suffer
ing people be called upon to make
decisions before one of them will be
honored? How many times must on.
citizens reverse their given judgment
in civic matters? Why reverse at
all? Isn't a legal decision once
made always a legal decision? If 1t
is, Madison has decided that she
wants a municipal electric plant. Its
erection has been ordered and the
citizens look to the city commission
for the execution of that which was
their collective will. :
Just now all eyes are on the cits
commission and the next maneuver
Of the Northern States Power com
pany. Now the question arises, Viii
the city commissioners turn dowr
all the bids for the bonds? Will they
reject them all thus subverting The
expressed will of the people who ex
pect them to act In accordance u
their wishes? We believe not. W.
Nope not. They must not. Two o.
the bids made were quite advanta
geous to the interests of the city II
the matter of the bonds. We r tt
have absolutely no trouble in dis
posing of the bonds.
At the eleventh hour comes thu
Northern States Power company.
corporation with unsavory tracks ant
doing business in Sioux Falls, with
proposition p%urporting to be of goot
repute. They ask the citizens t.
turn their backs on their former de
|~fcision and lend them their COLLECTIVE
ear. They speak disparagingly o
the part Of a plant now here, sail
plant being worth many thousands o
good dollars. They boast their pc
%culiar ability to furnish u city witt
Juice when it has always been mad
here by our WI plant and Delivers
to the switchboard at exactly tn
Itprice they ask, namely. 3 cents pc
kilowatt. They offer an iron cla'
contract with no provisions for for
FIXTURES should their guarantees no
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