St. Johns is Calling You
Hat seven churches.
Hai a moit promising future.
Distinctively a manufacturing city
Adjoins tho city of Portland.
Has neatly 6,000 population.
Flat a public library.
Taxable property. ,500.000.
Has large dry docks, saw mills
.Woolen mills, iron works,
Stove works, asbestos factory,
Ship building plant,
Veneer and excelsior plant,
Flour mill, planing mill.
Box factory, and others.
More Industries coming.
St. Johns Is the place for YOU.
St.Johns is Calling You
Is second in number of Industries.
Is seventh in population.
Cars to Portland every 16 min.
l ias navigable water on 3 sides.
Has finest gas and electricity.
Has two strong banks.
Has five large school houses.
Has abundance of purest water.
Has hard surface streets.
Has extensive sewerage system.
Has fine, modern brick city hall.
Has good payroll monthly.
Ships monthly many cars freight.
All railroads havo access to it.
Is gateway to Portland harbor.
Climate ideal and healthful.
ST. JOHNS REVIEW
Devoted to (be Intereiti of the Peninsula, tba Manufacturing Center of the Northwsit
VOI,. n
ST. JOHNS, ORKGON, FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1915.
NO 21
COUNCIL MEETS
Matters of importance
Rfcceive Attention
All members were present at
the regular meeting of tho city
council Tuesday evening, with
Mayor Vincent presiding as
usual.
A petition signed by a num
ber of property owners interest
cd asked that Mohawk street
between Willamette boulevard
and Decatur street be opened.
Council acquiesced in tho re
quest and J. IS. Hiller. s. W.
Rogers and L. B. Chipman wore
appointed as viewers upon the
opening of the street,
V. W. Mason asked for per
mission to use excess dirt on
New York street to (ill in on
Willamette boulevard, which was
granted.
A petition for an arc light at
tho corner of Buchanan and
Banks streets was referred to
tho water and light committee.
A resolution directing the en
gineer to prepare the plans and
specifications for the improve
ment of Catlin street between
Central avenue and Decatur
streets was adopted.
Bills totalling $59.80 were al
lowed. E. O. Magoon offered to install
a ladies' rest room on the east
side of Jersey street, provided
tho city donate $10 per month
toward same. The oll'er was
accepted.
Councilman Waldref was
granted permission to break curb
alongside his residence for the
purpose of auto entrance.
Resolutions providing for the
improvement of Ivanhoo street
between Burlington and Rich
mond and Chicago street be
tween Willamgtto boulevnrd and
Smith avenue were adopted.
An ordinnnco vacating Kel
logg street between Charleston
andvJohn street for school ground
purposes was passed.
Tho engineer presented esti
mates for tho hard surfacing of
Pittsburg street betweon Craw
ford and tho ferry slip in three
styles concrete, gravclod bitu
lithic nnd wooden blocks. Tho
chairman of tho street commit
tee, Davis, was directod to in
terview the property owners nnd
ascertain tho kind of improve
ment they desired.
Highly Recommended
Canyon, Texas, March 27th,
1915. To whom it may concern:
'I hereby certify that 1 hnvo in
timately known W. H. Nolen,
now of Saint Johns, Oregon, for
over fifty years, and know him
to bo a man truo to his convic
tions, honest in all his dealings
with his fellow man, conscien
tious in what ho believes to bo
right, not afraid to proclaim the
same to any people under any
and all circumstances, and as far
from being a hypocrite as any
man I ever knew. Respectively
submitted B.Frank Buie, Law
yer. Hopkinsvillo, Kentucky, March
27, 1915. This is to certify that
we, tho undersigned, have known
W. H.Nolen from childhood, and
know him to boa self made man,
a truo Republican, and a believ
er in woman suffrage. When
he was a younf? man ho debated
the question with the other boys
and won his side. He was also
opposed to capital punishment.
He was Constable for four years
and made a good officer. He was
postmaster at Bainbridge three
years, and at Sinking Fork two
years, and gave perfect satisfac
tion. He never belonged to any
church. W. T. Williamson, G.
A. Renshaw, J. H. Duiquid, F.
P. Renshaw, H. C. Clark.
Mr. Nolen is a candidate for
Councilman from the Second
Ward. adv
ANNOUNCEMENTS
I hereby announce myself as.
T 1 1 x e '
an naepenueni canaiuaie lor
the office of city treasurer to Jbe
voted for at thdAelection to be
held April 5th, 1915. Mrs. J,
M. ShaSv.
Auto for hire by day, hour or
trip, at very reasonable rates.
Good opportunity for parties of
four or less to make a trip into
the country at a low price. H,
M. Waldref,609Fessenden street.
Phone Columbia 206.
The Water Question
To the Editor: As you aro at
tempting to place the idea before
the voters that the Water Co.
has an exclusive franchise, I
am going to conclude my letter
writing in this campaign with
a short legal argument and place
the truth as it is before your
readers. In 1903 St. Johns was
organized as a city and drew up
its charter. The charter no
where directly authorized tho
city to grant a water franchise
but on the contrary did author
ize the city to build one of its
own. . ,
In 1905 the Legislature passed
an act entitled: An net to in
corporate the city of St. Johns,
Multnomah county, State of
Oregon nnd to provide a charter
therefor and to repeal all acts
or parts of acts in conflict there
with."
Now. Mr. Editor please note
there is nothing in the above ti
tle authorizing or referring to
any curative measure.
Section 20 of Article four of
the State Constitution provides:
"Every act shall embrace but
one subject, which subject shall
bo expressed in the title."
Section 22 of tho State Consti
tution provides: "No act shall
over bo revived or amended by
mere reference thereto but the
act amended must be set forth
at full length."
Tho Water Company is (Id-
pending entirely according to
your legal (7) advisor and opinion
writer on a section injected in
to the 1905 charter that pretends
to cure a void franchise granted
in 1903 charter and that, with
out oven so much as a reference
to the "No." of tho void ordi
nance granting tho franchise nnd
without embracing tho same
in tho act as is provided shall bo
dono in Section 22 of tho State
Constitution or in any manner
referring to tho void franchise.
Tho courts all hold this cannot
be done. You cannot breathe
the breath of life into a void uct
by a retroactive mcasuro and
that is what was attempted to
aro done. Tho Supreme Court of
Oregon and the Supreme Court
of Kansas and all of tho states
agree on that rule.
Hero is the language from the
Kansas decision: "A retroact
ivo stntuto attempting to crento
a power or euro a defect of ju
risdiction has never been held
valid." 12 Kansas 213-Stnr Pa
per 305.
"The exercise of such power
would be despotic, odious, op
pression and impairing the ob
ligation of a contract." If the
legislaturo could breathe tho
breath of life into theso instru
ments then it could mnko valid
forged instrument. 2 Kansas
115.
Exclusive franchises , under
such authority as exists here in
the 1903 and 1905 charter could
not bo created. Under a much
stronger law and plainer grant
tho United States Supreme Court
so held in the case of Wright
vs. Noglo 101 W. S. 791.
I am surprised to find anyone
who should contend to the con
trnry. When wo annex to Tort
land, Portland has the absolute
right to, at once, commence lay
ing water mains into St. Johns
atod Bull Run water will be ours
and where we now pay as high
as 1.85 per month for water
we will get tho same for 50
cents per month. D.C.Lewis.
Wo have consulted our "legal
adviser" concerning the points
Mr. Lewis has brought out, and
his reply appears elsewhere in
this issue. Ed.
Some of the mergerites when
they meet some unsophisticated
individual will pull a letter out
of their pocket and slyly hand
it over to oe read. The purport
of it is that the "St. Johns Wa
ter Company" was dissolved in
1906 by proclamation of the gov-1
ernor. It even makes the ped
dler of this misleading piece of
literature snicker when he sees
the innocent one swallow the
bait. There is no company with
the title St. Johns Water Com
pany, but there is one with tlfe
title "St, Johns Water Works &
Lighting Company," which
name it has been incorporated
under. That it is solvent and
doing business right along is
shown from the fact that the
state values its franchise to
such an extent as to exact $4
yearly tax. If it was dissolved,
surely the state would know it.
Anyway the franchise is just as
binding toward its successors or
assigns. It is pretty cheap poli
tics, yet some bite at it. Don't
be thus misled; use a little of
your gray matter.
An Opinion Worth While
March 30, 1915
Dr. E. E. Gambee, St. Johns, Oregon.
Dear Sir:
I have been asked to submit a legal opinion as to what effect merger of St. Johns with Port
land might have upon the water situation in St. Johns.
That depends upon how Portland could legally manage the water question after merger.
I note that the St. Johns water works franchise is exclusive till April 1919, and that tho
Legislature of 1905, in St. Johns charter of that year, and the people in the 1907 charter, enacted
by them and under which St. Johns is now operating validated all franchises theretofore granted.
The U. S. Supremo Court in a number of decisions has held that a city cannot run a compet
ing water system as against the private owner of a valid exclusive franchise. The leading cases
on this subject are:
Vicksburg v Water Works Co., 202 U. S. 453",
Walla Walla v Water Works Co.. 172 U. S. 1.
These decisions make it certain in tho event of morcrer Portland could not soli Bull Run Water
in your district in competition with tho St. Johns water works till after April 1919. Tho only alter
native would be the purchase by Portland of the St. Johns waterworks. Portland could not purchase
without borrowing money and issuing bonds.
Sec. 120 of the Portland Charter reads as follows:
"No bonds other than bonds for public improvements payable out of assessments upon the
property benefited, and sqwer bonds if otherwise authorized, shall be issued unless approved by a
vote of the people at a general or special election at which tho question shall be submitted in tho
same munner as other measures aro submitted under the initiative and roforendum. This provision
shall not apply to bonds heretofore authorized. All bonds of tho City of Portland shall be sold to
tho highest responsible bidder."
Portland people do not vote bonds freely. During tho last three years 1G bond propositions,
ranging from Two Million Dollars down to Twenty Five Thousand Dollars hnve been submitted,
and only one of these was passed by tho people.
It will not bo to tho advantage of the City of Portland or her citizens to voto tho bonds or
buy the present St. Johns water works, and for at least four years it does not appear likely there
will be lower or better water rates in St. Johns, even if the City becomes a part of Portland.
Yours truly,
JOHN B.9CLELAND.
Judge John B. Cleland was on tio bench twplvc years nnd is
widely known Attorneys in Portland.
Truth About Conditions
Editor Review: There are so
many lalse impressions being
left with tho voters of St.Johns,
by the imported spellbinders
from Portland and its suburbs,
on ttio question or annexation
that I am moved, through a Spir
it - f r , a l ft .I.. i i
it oi luir limy, io Buunui uiu ioi
lowing notes:
Sunday. March 21. the writer
made a trip to Scllwood. Lents
nnd Montnvilla and found some
interesting opinions upon the
advisability of becoming a su
burb of n great city.
In Montnvilla, tho homo of tho
Corn Curo Doctor, they howl
about high taxes, no ropresenta-!
tion, difficulty in arranging a
hearing with any City Commis
sioner, a general dissatisfaction
with the present conditions of
tho Portland Commission gov
ernment, graft, favoritism in
improvements nnd inadequate
police protection. One night
patrolman covers a territory as
large ns St. Johns, leaving the
business center unprotected one
half of tho night, while the day
patrol is inadequate. They have
sufficient lights, water and fire
protection; well, so have we.
i.iiu oiuuwtwno tiiu iii luiivu iuii-
dition, even in tho center of the
district, being nearly all old,
wood walks, and not very many
new ones appearing, either.
They have no manufactories, and
of course, located as they are,
perhaps never will havo any.
Street improvements aro hard to
secure by the little fellow, and
easy for the realty broker.
Street repairs, scarcely over,
with plenty of mud on the cross
walks, unless some enterprising
citizen takes kindly to tho shov
el. Enough for Montnvilla.
Lents, before annexation, was
a village with no government of
her own, so had to annex or in
corporate as a city. By a major
ity of 33 votes Lents annexed.
Now tho majority aro mourning
because they did not incorporate
and govern themseves. What,
havo they received from merg-i
ing into Portland? Some few I
hundred feet of rotten, discard
ed hose; a donation of $15 per
month to maintain a fire depart
ment and purchase supplies, pay
rent, etc.- a LARGE donation;
higher taxes by 25 per cent,
with no reduction in fire insur
ance; severe building restrictions
and inspections; high license on
teamsters and vehicle traffic; no
representation or any chanco on
reasonable time to a hearing by
the Commissioners; one police
man for a territory larger than
St. Johns; ono additional arc
light and very few hydrants; ab
solutely no improvements of any
kind. They admit one gain,
however, to wit: A regular po
liceman, where formerly they
had a watchman paid by popular
bubscription. There is a strong
dislike for tho present Commis
sion government. Now for Sell
wood. Sellwood sent a sneaker down
to the, North school Friday, Mar.
19, or rather he came upon the
earnest solicitation of our An
nex element. This speaker wao
R. M. Gatewood. a real estate
vendor with his "For Sale" tags
stuck up over about one-fifth of
the Sellwood district, making it
appear that annexation muBt
have some peculiar fascination
for his class of fellow men. Did
you hear his speech? Ho admit
ted what? That Sellwood had
acquired a very few arc lights
and a Government parcel post
box. Certainly some benefits
for Sellwood. The writer found
by nn extended tour of Sellwood
thnt thoy havo sufficient fire
hydrants in the business dis
trict, also arc lights and a paid
fire department, for which, of
course, the taxpayers of Scll
wood pay. Street Improvements,
outside of 13th street and about
five cross streets a fow blocks
long, are, howover, a minus
quantity. Higher taxes on tho
averago since tlvm beforo annex;
severe building restrictions
working a special hardship upon
the littlo homo builder or owner,
and a general disliko for exist
ing Commission government.
Tho serious minded taxpayer in
all theso suburbs says of our pro
posed annexation, "Yes, person
ally I would liko to sco you tak
en -in, as thereby there is more
assessable territory added to
Portland to help us out in the
future on tho over increasing
bonded debt of Portlnnd; how
over. I cannot seo where YOU
would or could gain by such a
move."
In conclusion will state that
last Saturday ovoning, after tho
speaking on tho annexation
question by our long haired
friend, Dr. Doveny, Mr. Leper,
president of tho East Side Busi
ness Men's club, and our old
standby, G. L. Pcrrine, I put
the following question to Mr.
Leper, in tho presenco of A. W.
Davis: "What inducement do
you, in the city of Portlund.havo
to offer tho prospective purchas
er of n manufacturing slto?"
Answer: "None whatever."
Question: "The fact is, then,
that all tho water front is held
by individual owners or corpora
tions at exorbitant prices in
Portland, as well ns in St.
Johns?" Answer: "Yes." Mr.
Leper proposes a direct tax 3n
the realty of Portland to raise a
largo sum of money that may bo
expended for the purchase of
water front property, thereby
giving tho city power to donate
sites to bona fide manufacturing
concerns. Some stunt.
Do not- bo unduly influenced
by parties having an axo to
grind. If any one is at all unde
cided as to the proper course to
pursue, I would urge them to
vote against annexation and
study it over from all points of
view for a year or two, while
we watch our sister, Linnton,
grow maybo.
Thanking you for any disposi
tion you make of this, I remain,
very truly yours Chas. E. Gar
lick, 102GS. Hayes street.
Editor Review: Can you tell
me how a candidate can take the
oath of office in which he swears
to uphold the city government
of St. Johns, when it is his
avowed purpose to destroy it?
A Curious One.
That is simply a matter be
tween the man and his con
Bcience. Ed.
For Rent One 6 room house,
$8.00; one 7 room house with 1
acre, $8.00; one 6 room house all
remodeled, $10.00. Peninsula
Security Co., Room 5 over First
National Bank,
one of the most prominent and
Voter's Soliloquy
(Parody on Hamlet's Soliloquy.)
To bo or not to be Chut is tho
question:
Whether 'tis wiser, in fact, for
we, of St. Johns to suifcr
Tho small nntural, municipal ills
incident to any town
Or to tuko up arms against these
little troubles
And by committing suicide end
them? To die, to sleep
Forever more! and by sleep to
say we end
Theso smnll troubles and a few
petty pangs
That any self governing commu
nity is hoir to 'tia a consu-
mation
Devoutly to bo wished, says D.
(J. To die. to Bleep
To sleep! Perchance to dream of
Bull Run water (which we
wont get)
Ayo thero's tho rub!
For in tho sleep of death what
dreams may corno to us.
When wo hnvo shuflled off this
mortnl coil.
Must givo us pause. Thus, mer
ger, would
Mako St. Johns n cnlamlty for
years to come.
But why should we, of St. Johns
endurotho whips and scorns
Of a few of us, who dissatisfied
would always be.
Disappointed office seekers and
the like?
But, still, in enso of merger,1
how about the nanus
Of disillusioned lovo for Port-1
land dear, tho laws delay.
Tho insolence of her Commis
sioners, those
Five thousand dollnr beauties,
whom wo could never see
Would thoy caro to listen to our
troubles.' Scarce y at all.
And yet why should wo bur littlo
troubles bear, alone,
To grunt und sweat under a
weary lifo.
But that the dread oi something
after death, by merger.
That undiscovered country from
whose bourn
Wo could never return,
Puzzles tho mind and makes us
rather
Bear the fow small troubles we
now have
Than to fly to others we know
not of :
And thus the native hue of sui
cidal resolution
Artificially inspired, by a few
who their own ends pave in
view,
Is sickened o'er with pause and
thot:
And this nefarious merger en
terprise of great
Pith and moment to these few,
who havo
Alone their own ends in view,
Is turned aside, when we stop
to think
That suicide will not cure
The few ills we now endure, for
after death,
Forsooth, what then? That's
the question. K R.
Citizens of St. Johns. Greet
ings: You are invited to attend
a grand rally to be held in the
auditorium of the James John
High School building, Saturday
night, April 8, 1915, under the
auspices of the Merger Ulub,
You will hear classy arguments
in favor of annexation. Promi
nent speakers will be present.
H. D, Beam, Sec'y.
HIGH 0L
Incidents of High School
Interestingly Told
The bnso ball season has
now begun in earnest. The Hill
grounds have been put in shape
and ,tho boys have been prac
ticing.cvcry night of tho pnst
week.; Prospective candidates
for the team are: Wesley Wrin
kle, Bert Sundstrom, Carlyle
Cunningham, Earl Kcliher. Clif
ton Crouch, Rny Hawkins, Joe
Toole, Dick Johnson, Harry
Card, Harold Baybrook, Louis
Dunsmoro, Jack Brownloy, Bill
Schroedor, Delbert Day, Marshall
Shaw, Ferris Swisher, Droit
Larson. Clyde Thayer. Wycth
Jaync, Henry Jower, and George
Huitord. From tiiese tne school
expects a good team.
Tho enterprising first term
Freshmen have organized a base
ball team of their own, ns fol
lows: Everett Day, captain and
catcher: Bill Schrocdcr, manager
and pitcher; Dick Johnson, coach;
Walter Bugbce, left field; Joe
Toole, first base; Clarence Mar
tin, second bnso; Russell bmitli,
third bnso; Max Stearns, center
field: Charles Krcyer, short
stop; and Jack Brownloy, right
field. This team promises to be
a good one. They played their
first game with Central school,
which did not result Inn victory.
However, tho team was not com
posed of regulars, so this game
"doesn't count."
As yet tennis is not under way
for tho "powers that be" refuse
permission for the use of ono
court until both are roady.
The girls' basket ball team, ac
companied by Coach White and
his wife, enjoyed "Geneseo of
tho Hills" at tho Baker Theatre
Thursday.
Tho Seniors, finding it difficult
to chooso a suitable vehicle for
their sovoral histronlc powers.
think of requesting Barrio or
Belasco for a brand now play.
Tho "Reporter" respectfully
suggests Bernnrd Shaw as being
best able to help them.
Tho Dramntic Society gave a
vory pleasant program and en
tertainment Fridny ovoning.
Tho principal part of the pro
gram was tho Sophomore-Junior
debutoon the question: Kesoiv
cd, that ono ucssion of school
from 8 o'clock to lOo'clock would
bo bettor for J.J. II. S. than the
present arrangement. Those on
tho Sophomore team wero Car
lyle Cunningham, Dorothy Schue
for und Ferris Swisher;. on tho
Junior team, Minnie Nolen, Ho
mer Plnskett and Drott Larson.
Althouuh both teams did good
work, tho judges decided in fa
vor of tho Juniors, who support
ed the negative. This debate
was tho second of the series of
interclass debates, the Sopho
mores having won over tho
Freshmen m tho first contest.
Tho Junior-Senior trial remains,
which will decide tho champion
ship. The entertainment following
the debate was in the form of
un "abbreviated social," the
novelty of which wns much en
joyed.
Thoso who attended tho recent
anpearanco of tho Pacific Univer
sity Glee club at tho II. S. audi
torium wero well repaid for their
effort. Tho club, consisting of
s xteen young collego men, ren
dered n very pleasing program.
The collego songs were especial
ly attractivo features.
Tho Freshman class has an
nounced a return reception to bo
given the Upper Classmen on
Friday. April 22. 'Ihe invited
guests anticipate a good time.
Senior Notes: Here it comes
What? The Senior play! Af
ter many readings and discus
sions the Seniors have at last se
lected "The Sky Riders" for the
annual play. It is a thrilling
comedy of two California avia
tors. Mrs. G. M. Hall, the well
known coach, has charge of the
play. The following is tho cast:
Alueron Gordon Brown. Bill
TeutBch; Horace Saunders, Car
lyle Cunningham; Teddy Nixon.
John McGregor; Mrs. Algeron
Brown, Gladys Palmer; Helen
Brown, Alice wnnklo; Koma,
Marshall Shaw; Juliana Brown,
Marie Bredeson. I'riday, Apn
30th, is the date set.
Tho staff of tho Senior Annua
has now begun work in earnest.
Histories, jokes and other liter
ary articles aro being collected.
The class, though small, is unit
ed in effort and promises to givo
the public an annual unequaled.
Nets the label on your piper.
Again Knocked Out
Editor Review: Our good
friend D. C. Lewis is in a nolo
again on the water question.
At first ho contended that an
exclusive franchise would not
stop municipal competition. I
drove him away from that posi
tion by showing what the U. S.
Supreme Court has said about
that. Then he backed up and
took the position that the exclu
sive franchise of tho local com
pany was void because the 1903
charter did not empower tho
city to grant an exclusive fran
chise. I then showed him where
the 1905 and 1907 chnrters ex
pressly validated the franchise.
Again he backs away nnd takes
now the new position that thu
validating sections are no good
because the charter titles do not
mention these sections. I now
cite him tho case of "Nottngo
vs. city of Portland 35 Oregon.
539.
In that case the Legislature
gave Portland a new charter, as
it did in 1905 to St. Johns, in
which it validated certain asoss-
ment proceedings, void under
the old charter. Nottage resist
ed the collection of thoso assess
ments, nnd one of his conten
tions wns, like Lewis', that the
title of the new charter did not
refer to the validating section,
and that therefor the validating
section was void under tho Con
stitutional requirement that tho
subject mutter of n statute must
io germane to the title. The
title of tho new Portlnnd chnrtor
wns exactly liko the title to the
1905 and 1907 St. Johns char
ters, and contained no reference
to the validating sections. On
his point,, in the Nottage case,
the Supremo Court of Oregon
said: "We think in view of tho
fact that it was but a re-incor
poration of u previously exist
ing municipality, tho matter of
ratifying and validating prior
proceedings for tho improvonient
of streets is germane to the sub
ject matter of tho title nnd prop
erly included in tho act."
In answer to Lewis' argument
that retrospective legislation is
void, above decision says:
"There is noclnuso eithor in tho
U. S. Constitution or of this
commonwealth which prohibits
retrospective laws."
Above decision is binding ur-
it
gon luw, anil again poor oiu
Lewis is (In von from his posi
tion. He has not a log to stand
on in his plea that morgor will
owor our wator rates. Ilia le
gal citations in this issue aro
absolutely no good. I ho writor
has carefully mspuctod thorn nil
nnd tho facta therein deultwith,
so widely differ from tho St.
Johns matter that his cast have
no appliability to our situation.
There could no no municipal
competition from Portland for I
years. The only alternative
would bo for Portland to buy
the St. Johns wator works, by
selling bonds which Sec. 120 of
the Portland charter stays must
be submitted to tho pcoplo lor
ratification. Portland people
don't vote bonds freely. In the
ast 3 years thoy havo rejected
15 bond proposals and passed
one. would they vote noncis io
benofit a fow thousand pooplo in
the North ond, now St. Johns
No chanco.
If the people of St.Johns think
that merging will solve the wa
ter question thoy will bo sadly
foo od. it will not. hot us hang
onto our own government. Turn
down tho paid agitators. How
ard O. Rogors,
The report has boon circulated
that tho St. Johns Review and
several other leaders of tho
Anti-Merger movement Iirvq
liixn nrnumitud with blocks of
stock of the St. Johns Water
Company. Now wouldn't that
grab you? We aro most sorry to
admit that it is not true. Would
that it were. As a mntter ot
fact the St. Johns Wator Com
pany is not interested in this
light. It feels that it would
get a better price for its plant
If Pnrtlniul would take it over.
And you do not notice its offi
cials or employes or m lact any
body going around tolling tho
people or oven suggesting that
this city purchaso tho plant at
tho price offered. Thoy can
make more money by kooping
it. So when some one tolls you
that the company is giving
away stock, just give them the
laugh, becauso if wo aro getting
stock we are not earning it.
The Review has not and is not
advocating purchasing of tho
plant. That is up to the people
entirely.
NoU tha labal on your paptr, j