Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05
Moin street Of ChNnlIte. 81

Nom street OF ChGnHfe. ga
10y said these were almost all for LIQUOR cases.
e. A. Pearce is superintendent of the electric
plant.
lis success has attracted wide attention and
he has written a pamphlet The doors are
always open TO the public at the light plant
and every stranger is shown through the plant,
o honey looking place surrounded by trees and
manned by men who glad TO you and
are anxious to explain how all the machinery
works.
Z. NJ Flannery Is manager of gas and wate1
plants.
Municipal ownership of the utilities is not q
new thing in Chanute The gas and wateb-
plants have been municipality operated fog 30
years and the electric plant 20 years. But 1t ha4
been only in the last six years that the plants
were put on o profitable basis.
This was under the administration of Mayor
Baughman. Modern methods were installed IN
the plants and the mayor demanded the utilities
be placed on profitable basis.
AS result the tax load was lifted from the
citizens this year. =
The mayors job pays only 81 200 a year. The
city is run something like big corporation,
There is a meeting every morning at O'Clock
where any complaints by the tizen-stockholds
ers are heard Department heads there fof
the daily conference Every Tuesday afternoon
there is the regular weekly meeting Of tho
mayor and his two commissioners.
On all the property owned by the city. iIla
GLIDING its municipal utility plants, are largo
signs reading: This Property Is Not for Sale
This Is to impress the utilities companies that
business Is good in Chanute.
Removal Of taxation" says Mayor 10y, that
encouraged q closer feeling among our citioenA
and people have come closer together, especially
through the medium Of great municipal
auditorium in our Memorial Building 1t ID
more or less club office for everybody nd
Chanute and visitors well.
I'VE have proven that the right kind Of
government make utilities q profitable
source Of income for the municipality, mean@
while holding down rates low and in most
cases lower than any other city in the STATE
of Kansas"
THE municipal airport-paid for out Of utilap
ties profts-consists of 100 acres and has
a hangar and other improvements. There II
daily service north and south out Of Chanuts
by air.
Chanute holds election once q year. The
mayor and commissioners elected for three
years, one being up for reelection each yeaAh
In this way the record of the administrator
comes up every year for approval or disaps
proval.
Paying the light. gas and water bills Is
family religion in Chanute. All three bills are
paid ct the same time at the City Hail. which
is in the Memorial Building. The fire and
police departments also are housed in q part Of
the building.
The white way" and all street lighting are
given to the city free by the municipal plant,
Public buildings also all are lighted at no cost
coming out of the general fund accumulated
from the utilities profits
The city has $514.248 invested in its electric
plant, which Is clear of debt with no outstanda
ing bonds. The water plant and system is val-
ued at 1857, S0S, against which are $l61, AIT Of
bonds being retired from earnings
The $l94, 900 gas system is free Of debt.
Seven years ago city taxes were 1881 On
each 81, 900 valuation. Taxes started down
from then on. Now there are no city taxes, No
gasoline tax, no city auto license tax, no mer-
chants tax-no tax ct all. The net municipa1
profit for 1880 was reported by the city -
$4,000.