The Little River news., 1919-11-15
CITIZENS BACK MAYORS
 FIGHT FOR BETTER LIGHT
Big Mass Mass Meeting Held Thursday. Commonwealth Company Must Alp.
 pear Before Corporation Com.

Thursday morning at a big mas of representative citizens ( Ashdown in response to a call frol Mayor J. E. Locke, it was made know that Mayor Locke had appealed to tn Arkansas Corporation Commission flo an order to require the Commonwealt Public Service. Company to provide more adequate service. The petitio nas been set for hearing at tn court house December , at 9 0 clGcl The formal order 5tas read at tn which w.; a copy of the nc tice that had been served on the con pany.
 City Attorney Ben Shaver read copy of a letter that had been write to the Commonwealth Public Servi Company of Noyam per 8th The lette follows:
 Ashdown, ArK, Nov. S, 1919. The Commonwealth Public Ser
 vice Company.
 Fort Smith, Ark.
 Gentlemen:
 Your manager was down here over a month ago and met with the City Council, and at that time, he assured the Council that you were going to install a large engine here and give better service than in the past
 Since that time conditions have gotten no better, but decidedly worse, and, if something is not done, and an effort made on your part to live up to and comply with Your franchise and give the town of Ashdown better service, that is, SERVICE, for we are not getting any at all now, steps will be taken to cancel and forfeit your fran chise We do not like to take this step because of the trouble it will neeessitate. so I would like to hear from you, at the very earliest date, with reference to your plans to give better service here.
 T am writing this letter at the instance of the Council and the en- tire people of the town. Both tue Council and the people are with me on this and if there is any way, which I think there is, we are go- ing to have better light thaan We have had in the past
 Yours truly,
 U. E. Locke, Mayor"
 A reply to this letter was also Teat and follows:
 Fort Smith, Ark, Nov. II, 1919. "Mr. j. F. Locke, Mayor,
 "AshdOwn, Ark.
 Dear Sir:
 Answering yours of the 9th inst We were very much surpris- ed on receipt of your letter. We knew that we lacked power to give proper ice service, but thought the electric service was good. We have taken up this matter with our local manager. The 150-HP engine at DeQueen has just been completely overhauled, is in first class condition, and will be shipp- ed to AshdoWn not later than Dec 1st. Yours very truly,
 Commonwealth Pub. Service Co.,
 By F. ". Fry, General Mgr"
 Citizens Mean Business.
 The meeting resolved itself into a indignation meeting in regard to rh service. or lack of adequate servic hat had been rendered in the pas; which all agreed was due to both uE ,eliable engines and to insutficien oCwer were both engines in perfee at all times.
 It was stated thaat the towns Ugh CT good service would entail expense IS it was determined to fight the thin o a finish. All those present si2ne m obligation to stand back of an financial expense that might be neces ,arv, and to back up the mayor an he council in any way possible Thos who were familiar with the bad ser rice reported from DeQueen durin he past year were opposed to allow ng the company to try to mend tn service by bringing here the secon ,and engine that has been in use a hat place. Mayor Locke said that h vas going to insist that the use of ol engines be abandoned and a stear plant installed, as our experience her with the oil type had been full Of grie1