Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-04-09
Old Rings for New
and Municipal Problems.

One man says tersely: Eyes, we've
broken ring. And we have new
one, all welded together"
He means nothing sarcastic or sin
lister in this. He means, simply, that
under the old aldermanic-mayOr form
of government, a ring is destroyed
and a new one formed every time
there is an election turnover.
Rings and the old system are one
and inseparable
Escanaba, Mich, city of $4,000,
stumbled along with the old system of
government for years. The city was
hoplessly in debt and unable to meet
its bond interest. Local affairs were
chaotic Streets were boys. The city
owned the light, water and gas plants
and nearly half the people neglected
to pay their bills Deficits went into
the tax roll where huge deficits al
ready existed So it went.
Three years ago Escanaba adopted
the commission form of government.
A man named Harris was employed at
a salary of TEN THOUSAND DOL
LARS a year. The commission did the
planning and Harris, independent as
a hog on ice carried out the orders.
He put the water, light and gas plant
on a Self-suppOrting basis. Back bills
were collected for five years. Taxes
were equaIized and collected. In TWO
years Harris collected OVER TWO
HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND
DOLLARS due Escanaba. Public i'm
provements abound. Debts are being
paid.
Merchants who failed to pay their
taxes had their stores closed and their
stocks ticketed for sale. Household
ers who failed or refused to pay for
water, gas and light had the same
shut off. Some properties, paying a
fraction of tax in proportion to what
they should pay, were brought up to
standard He'll broke, all the way
around
Harris is a stranger He is as indie
pendent as an editor. He doesn't care
a rap what people think of him and
when advised that his home would be
burned said: Go ahead and burn it.
l don't own it"
We will never get anywhere in Ian
caster under the present system. The
only criticism one could make justly
against any group of aldermen is their
lack of interest and their timidity.
nothing for the job. They are timid
because any business man knows that
if he does what he thinks is right he
will have business cut away from him.
No business man dares to follow his
conscience. He knows he would lose
his bread and butter.
Lancaster has an expensive water
plant and it always will be expensive.
We go four miles to pump water to a
town four times larger in area than it
should be for $500 people. Block af-
ter block has one or two houses and
spacious yards and gardens. Looks
fine but how can a city lay watAr
mains and pump water 400 feet up
and miles straight ahead and keep
down expenses? 1t can't be done.
The water system here should be
put on self-supporting basis. If that
means SIS q thousand gallons for wa
ter, charge It, People will learn how
to economiEe then. At present water
deficits are thrown into the tax roll
an unwise and unfair method.
Lancaster should combine its water
plant with an electric generating plant
the same steam generating unit being
used for both. The city should go to
the mat with the operating company
forcing a definite limit on the fran
chise or multiplying it so that the COM
pany operates comparatively as other
firms do if at all.
These things can't be done with our
present form of government Business
men are too timorous and one can't |
blame them. We would do all exactly |
as they do if in their position.
About the only thing more ineffi- |
cient than government is a tonsiI.