The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-11-17
WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN
DOWHEN IT WILLSTODO
Judge Kerr's Little Town Runs Its Rail Road,
Owns It's Water, Sewerage, Lights,
Ice Plant and Hotel

r nv one III ElEdOSln SltS /
wants 20 know just how far
,,r public can safely SO in the !
ownership OF public utilities,
8 h. him ask Judge John H.
Kerr. Of Warrcnton who is
residing over the Superior
Hour, here this week, Judge
1 Kerr says We can SO 4 long
way and he knows.
rr4ss Kerr halls from the town Of
Vs-rs7.an, the county seat of The
LILLE rmlnty Of Warren. Warren
~ is s;Een d population of less than
thousand by ;hS census Of 100
By. Warrenton 0wDs its ONE railroad
rs ora water aud sewerage, its cleo
,-;c Niht service, IFS ice plant and
\ Sc, b1tel. And now WarrenJoa IS
b.as:as Of building 4 municipal laun-
l-, Co b. followed by Il municipal
bakery. Why shouldn't 4 town iced
l-J lodge its guests, wash its OWE
r,.acs and bake It's own bread, ~
~.N as manufacture its own lights
.al water?
Warrcnton learned to do things for
;.>rli after the SeaboNrd Air Line
Railway ran thru Warren Count and
,sI. WarrNntoR three miles away
I-om is tracks. Back in 1854 War
rsp,on issued $4,000 in bonds aud
bull. a rail road of its own, from
Warrenton TO Warren Plains. The
di>.ance was only three miles aud
Won could build and equip three
miles Of rail road somehow, in those
days foy $4,000.
The WareutOn Rail Road, as II was
called. wasn't much of a success at
first. but the bonds were paid Oft
somehow and then the ral road be
gau % pay; it is and has been
regular little revcnuc.gctter for the
pas, twelve or fifteen yeats, Just
handling freight between Warrcpion
aud Warren Plains.
Having made go Of n rail road
Of its own, Worreutou was ready for
a,uos. anything and the town bond
Cd itself for 10000 aud built its
own water and sewerage plants. II
PIT in its own electric distribution
systcu and bought its current from
big cotton mill outside the town,
tarausc it could buy power as cheap
Is il could make ii.
Next thing, the town needed q good
rr plant and WarrentOn built its
own ice plant.
Then travelling men who came TO
.ovu kicked about the hotel qcco-
u9lotiouS and private capital could
70. b. induced to build Il modern
b9.el in 50 small u town. Again
Warrnutou got busy aud built Il mo-
tsru little hotel of 70 and odd rooms
alI hired u manager to run 1t.
They pay aheir hotel manager d sal
ary ot $3.50 4 year With board for
he manager and his family thrown
II. The hotel, started in 1870 has
taru such success that Warren
~ :, now contemplating an addl-
,.qa of - rooms TO its hotel The
..1udry is coming next
Besides its electric lights, water.
sewerage. Ice plant, hotel and rail
-oad. Warrenton has 4 handsome
'gan ball, $4,000 worth Of street
r.v.ry, j moderu school plant and
Amos. everything that town ten
tines its size would be proud of.
Tvo things have made the munici-
pe, progress Of Warrenton possible.
Hrs. Warrentou had 4 legal adyis-
p Who thought more Of helping his
'9Ha than Of liuiDg his OVID pockets.
When that lawyer was called upon
% draw new charter for the town
a good many years ago, he didn t
draw uD a vague, involved and volu-
-.logs document that would require
,-e employment Of more lawyers and
2r rN-a session Of the legislature
.p u-.a0ylc il every time The town
wanted G, do something. Judge Kerr
c'.w lr present charter Of Warren
.9l aud Jc made it so simple and so
5rogi that the town can do almost
,a''a'vs +, elects TO do, under its
rrsr.o-.
Aeo'5"r t6lng that has made uuni-
"na. progress possible in Warren
.'1 Is 81 town council that seems TO
-a.e '5n business acumcn to employ
"9a5.r managers for the town 5
l''r"r.rs and pay them good sala-
'..> 20 - results.
'.ds. Kerr says public ownership
..s bern highly satisfactory and
" q. public utilities 10 Warrcuton
..'.la',". Worrrn,on wouldn't think
~ s"0o back to private ownership
w e-E "l is publicly owned utilities
'-' "a"o t1e town needs anything
" t H.. not rust out waiting for
'-.''" ra2,lal. but will build and
'.."e 'l" things itself if there is