The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-18
CANDIDATES ARE
FOR REPEAL OF
UTILITIES LAW
RoWlett Paine and Associates
on Citizens League Ticket
Come Out SquareIy on Pub
lie Service Corporations.
TAKE STAND ALSO ON
CITY MANAGER PLAN
Favor No Change in Present
Form Of City Government
Unless 1t Is Demanded by
Voters Themselves.

Ihe candidates on. the Citizans,
league ticket have come ont snnarai,
~ the statement of their position on
swo questions of vital interest to the
people of Memphis. Si0
d,da q statement signed by all the can
uladleS thursday morning, they saw
tnat they favor the immediate rebeaI
lot the public utilities act. and that
Ilhey VIII oppose any change IN tha
present form Of government, unless fhe
1hsoPie hel themselves SHOULD demand It by
Paine, candidate for mayoF ana hv
hpmas H, Allen, John B. Edgar. Hor.
ce Johnson and Charles r. Shannon.
Fanuldates for commissioner
" ne statement will do much to clari-
lne position of the candidates on
nese Two matters, concerning which
W nas peen more discussion within
eIore the people Of Memphis.
Meilner 81 the questions was specifi-
ally mentioned in the platform upou
s-hph the Citizens League Candidates
gere nominated and that fact has given
lse 10 an idea among many OF the
,otens mat the candidates were in
Ellheu ~ some way to favor the pubs
service corporations and In other
quarters, to the belief that because
Nome OF the men VINO are members of
rs CITIZENS League were once adyo-
8#Rtes OF the city manager plan, the
Fndldates might, after their election
ian Of city government.
Mo Equivocation Here,
u was due to the fact that these
tteas were evidently held by a number
|s& citizens of Memphis, that the state
|1Nent was made.
|tN f3'hig iS x.yl,ot tl,n
I'VE favor the immediate repeal az
|kMe pubic utilities commission law en-
|liGssee.
Believing 10 the principles OF local
z We know that The
fallroad and public. utilities commission.
kan be regulated best BY those who are
directly affected by the service these
Preparations perform.
I'VE are confident that we can ulve
she people OF Memphis an economical
pnd efticient administration Of the
eity's affairs under the present form
pf government, and we viii oppose a
change In our local governmental sys.
tenn unless the people themselves de.
Imand, BY their votes, a change In the
form OF the city government.
"RoWlETT PAINE.
For Mayor
n John 3. EDGAR,
" HORACE JOHNSON,
"CHARLES p. SHANNON,
"For Commissioners"
| Both questions are covered briefly.
Ibut decisively There is no dodging Of
fither issue. Mr.. Paine and his fellow
candidates conferred .on the matter
with the members of their campaign
committee Nand decided that they pre-
Aerred to make their position absolute
y clear now at the beginning of the
Fa:Hpaign. II there are any other To-
kal issues raised. they propose to meet
Them in the same way, by frank
statement. In this their attitude seems
TO be different from that of members
of the present city administration, who
stood idle while the public utilities bill
was being passed at Nashville, al
Though they were warned that its pass
age meant that the city would lose con-
trol OF any kind over the public service
corporations and that the fight for in
creased rates would start Immediately
upon the passage of the proposed law
Frhe results are known now to the peo.
Iple of Memphis and the other cities of
Tennessee.
Leslie NJ. stratton, chairman Of the
campaign committee of the Citizens
League, Thursday expressed his graft
Eication at the action of the five candi-
dates. Mr. Stratton has begun ORGANIC
ing his forces in earnest and has al
ready selected majority of the ward
leaders who will organize the ward
CLUBS for the league.
Mrs. Samuel J. Ellis, vice-c chairman OF
the league, is also perfecting the wom-
ems organizations in the wards. No
during the month before the election,
early part of october, but the campaign
will be in full swing by that time, SO
Mr.. Stratton and Mrs Ellis predict and
which win occur Nov. 6, both the
general, rally will be held before the
HCitizens League and the Williams
tickets will have ward rallies almost
nightly
sands of letters to voters, asking them
to pay their poll taxes before Oct. g.,
and will also have them personally no.
titled few days before that date.