People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 27-25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1896 — Twentieth Century Ideas. [ARTICLE]

Twentieth Century Ideas.

Rensselaer is embued with a spirit of advanced economy in municipal matters that places her fully up to the most progressive cities in the world. Municipal ownership, as a basic principle, has scarcely an opponent in the whole citizen ship. The people of this county believe that what is possible or profitable for an individual to do for the people, the people can more satisfactorily do for themselves. As a township they have built gravel roads; as an incorporated town they have macadamized the streets, constructed sewers, maintained a fire department, etc.; as a county they have bridged the rivers, provided for the poor, and done all the things usual to such an organization. The people know the benefits to be derived from municipal ownership of such utilities as electric light, waterworks and electric power for manufacturing purposes, and they are pi’eparing to have them. If the existing electric plant cannot be purchased at its true value, the board of town trustees, backed by the prevailing sentiment of the people, will install a new plant, sufficient in capacity to operate waterworks and have ample power to sell to manufacturers and other consumers. And it is not beyond the expectations of those familiar with steam heating to see our enterprising city delivering heat from this same municipal plant direct to our homes, the same as they will do electricity, water and power, for it can be done at a great saving over the usual cost for fuel. Steam heating is as much a pait of municipal function as that of light and water, and by its general use the health and comfort of the community would be improved, the expensive unattractive stvoes would be discarded, and the cause of many destructive fires removed. The heating stove is not only “in the way,” but it is a burden to the housewife and a constant menace to property. Steam heat would obviate those defects to heating houses. All these modern methods of to-day are to be adopted by Rensselaer, and that soon. A few months will see it running its own lights, and probable laying water mains. In other lines the town is marching in the front rank. The private kindergarten will soon be made a part of its public school system, and that because its great usefulness has been fully demonstrated by the successful operation of aprivate institution of the kind. Plans are on foot for the establishment of a creditable free public library, reading room and gymnasium, and it is probable that a beginning will be made this winter. An opportunity is open for some philanthropic person to immortalize his name by liberally endowing such an institution. The good thus done ■would be reflected on generations yet to come, as well as exerting a present great influence. Can not some one who has the interests of humanity at heart, from the abundance that he has acquired in good old Jasper county, return a portion to this public use, as a token of love for his feilowmen, by association with whom all great wealth is possible. Let some generous heart say, “Here is SIO,OOO, and for each additional SI,OOO which is given from other sources I will give fI,OOO more.” Think of it good citizens, and make Rensselaer’s new free library the pride of all the people.