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Show A TAX FREE TOWN In the October, 1933 issue of Country Home, an article by Ben James, gives concise and very interesting in-teresting information about how the City of Chanute, Kansas, with 10,000 population has built ' and paid for an Electric and a Gas Plant out of the revenue from these plants, has a very elaborate water system, partially paid for, and is paying all the expenses of the Municipality from the proceeds pro-ceeds of these utilities. No taxes of any kind have been collected from the inhabitants for the city's expenses or financing for the years of 1930, 1932, and 1933. Contrary to Mr. James' supposition, sup-position, he found that the utility rates in the town were lower than In most of the cities in Kansas owned. Electric rates are given where the utilities were privately hour, and sliding down to 4 cents for all in excess of 100 kilowatts as starting at 6 cents a kilowatt with a minimum of 50 cents per month. Power rates start at ZVz and range down as low as 9-10 of a cent. The entire success of the plan, is credited to the fact that the City's Mayor and three commissioners are business men first, and politicians polit-icians second. Why do the towns of the Basin not investigate this? We know there is plenty of power in the Basin. Could not the plan work as successfully here, as in Kansas where power must be generated from fuel? Duchesne has already applied; for Public Works Administration funds to improve it's water sys- J tem, but Secretary Ickes is still, calling for more applications, and as a Municipally owned power plant is surely a self liquidating project, why not get the dope together to-gether and see what it shows This matter has come under dis. cussion several times, but has always al-ways died out before any definite action. was taken. We have a business administration ' in Duchesne, Duch-esne, and they have shown their ability to handle affairs efficiently efficient-ly as is evidenced by the fact that the city is still running on it's own regular funds,' in spite of greatly reduced revenue. We need employment badly, right now. We surely would welcome relief from taxes, and the Government is anxious an-xious to get the funds appropriated appropria-ted into the hands of workers. Let's look into it. |