Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-26
Advantaess Of Pubic works.

NJ Robert J. Finley, Of the Johps Hop
Wins Universlty, lecsured ON Monday IN
nsltlmcrs, on municipal public works
marked ma features Of the pre- prsssns "a industrial
go - the tendency Of population to-cou-
eSutFnte into towns aud cittes. In 1ee0 only
about oue.lourth Of our population lived in
cities, 10 1870 the ratio was one twcinh enc
nov about .. z nrsss ,s put ,. sss ~ ss
crowding Of population into industrtal ceu-
trss has gone relatively. greater incrsase
IN local Expenditure. with the growth Of
clties there arose . need Of better strsets,
Sr S:r .daS.sn. dsas a;rs:s se. Rss 1s5:s
water works took the placs Of The old town
rump; In fact, hand service gave way TO
complicated systems Of public works Dur
ing the period from 1850 70 1873 the p0pula-
( tion Of our cities increa:ed les9than % Per
cent, while taxation increased over soo
per cent Now, In order that our municl-
palities may meet thess expenditures. In
crsasing 1Aster than population, some
thing must be done, ana that right
soon. But whatf Obviousiy the sourcs Of
tsxes levied ON our real estate and personal
property BY the local government cannot
b raised indefinitely TO meet the expand
log municipal needs. Even the present
rate Of taxes II regarded by many ~ op-
important is the better utilization on The
part Of cities Of their own resources. mean
fhose services which, from their peculiar
and inseparable connection with cities,
derive monopolistic nature-those Ger.
vices, say, should be delivered from the
hands OF private companies entirely, or the
privilege of performing these services
granted TO private companies only on tho
payment Of the highest possible per cent.
Ofthe annual gross receipts. These services
are the supply Of water, light and local
transportation to municipalities. The
manufActure Of gas has now become .
source OF revenue TO many European cites,
the principle generally acted upon being,
hrst, 70 reduce the cost Of gas 70 . reasonable
rate, and then place the remaining profits,
there bs any sS the he. relief Of .1 s:1;siSn 4 m
ass1 med control of its gas works realized
from them net profit Of nearly 100000,
and this after the price Of gas per 1000 feet
had been reduced from 81. 10 to 90 cents. I
was told by prominent newspaper editor
Of this country (recently from 0lasgow)
that for the year 1855 o the city reduced the
price Of gas to 60 cents per 1000 feet, and
even then realized handsome profit. We
In this city few days ago were about TO
grant away to thee nsolidatedGss company
Ss q ssS gs: to tss 's
1000 feet, but fortunately the Sun brought
ne TO our senses before the company sue
ceeded in It's monopolistic design. 1know
that there Is Q strong feeling In this country
against transferring businesses from pri-
vate to public hands, but this opposition,
Il seems to me, IL to great extent unwar-
ranted. II comes too often from prejudice
or from the personal interest Of that class
who profit by these works remaining Ia
their hands. As to such services as the
supply Of water and light to citizens there
can be no doubt a. TO who should perform
them-private companies or municipali-
ties. These services partake Of the nature
Of monopolies, and no monopoly should
be allowed to remain under private
control" Mr.. Finley then pointed out
the essential differences between q mon
opoly and an ordinary business. In speak
ing Of municipal public works: ut Is not
generally KNOWN" he said, "what prog
ress has been made In this direction dur
ing the last ten years. One-half of the
Ser works are under municipal control.
IL bre are eight cities in the country that
sssag,ed df6s ciir Of the gas s,srv worE.; ani
sSs;pE 81 heD DsGted Sd cities is 70 cents
per 1,OO0yf feet where the average
price Of gas sold by private,~ panies IL
$l3e The revenue yielded to the cities
eac' year Is very considerable. Twenty
seven cities, DO far a. can be learned, ope-
rated electric light plants during the last
wear, and the result In every case 10 aatts-
f.ctory. Definite information from twenty
four cities shows IL $40 cents per arc light
per night" In treating the street-car ques-
tion, Mr.. Finley advanced plan by which
the city could control all the lines within .
certain number of years at very little cost
to the city.