Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-02
EVILS OF THE DAY
Their Causes Discussed by the
Unity Club.
CITIES SHOULD OWN RAILWAYS
Lighting Plants and Water Works-The
Single Tax Theory Advanced-Dh-
sesent Views Expressed.


evening in the lecture room OF Temple
Emanuel. only three or four ladies be-
ing present. Vice-presidcnt Holden
presided. The minutes OF tho last two
meetings were read and approved. and
then the chair announced the subject
Of the evening to be . disc ussion OF
"The Municipal Control of Street Rail-
ways, Gas aud Waterworks," with Mr..
Alexander Fyfc IN charge. Mr.. Fyfe
argued that street raiiways. gas and
water plants should be governed by the
city because streets are public property
and therefore the people have equal
rights, or ought to have. in them. lie
did not believe that the municipality
should ever part with its streets and
highways, and should never give more
than leases. The present custom Of
granting free franchises to companies
for their uee was unnatural.
"Phiiadeiphia owns her own gas sys-
tenn and II IS one Of the best in the
United States. Many foreign cities own
their water, light and street transporta-
ton systems. Paris rents her street car
system at an immense rental and then
ut8ACo tuC sCSeCC poy ucsA " ssAO tSSsAsS
of the business back TO the govern
ment. l believe." said he, THAT If tho
government would abolish private mo-
,nopoly of public rights that one Of the
greatest evils of the day would be at an
end. believe that Grand Rapids could
operate her street car system tomorrow
AZ o profit. even IT 1t adopted . two
cent fare.
H. C. Willahan, on being called upon.
talked at some length about the Diff
culties that presented themselves IN
considering the question OF city owner
snip of water works. He did not think
these difficulties would be met III hand
ling the street railways and lighting
plants, although he knew OF only one
city in America where the street rail-
way was owned by the municipality.
Since Glasgow, Scotland, had owned
her lighting system the yearly con-
sumption had increased materially and
At the same time the cost to the con-
sumers had been reduced from $l.14
per thousand feet to 66 cents per thou
sand feet.
The speaker gave facts and figures
concerning the other public functions
owned by Glasgow, and SAID that since
corporations can afford to pay great
sums as brbes to. corrupt Legislators.
there must be immense profits in the
business.
Mr.. VIM. Hathaway announced that
he would speak upon the single tax in
its rela ation to municipal ownership Of
street railways, gas and waterworke.
Referring to Mr.. Willahan's statistics
concerning Glasgow, Mr.. Hathaway,
said that All rxsfroads of Austraiia w6t6
owned by the government, and these
was no agitation whatever as to the
propyiety Of overthrowiDg this owner
ship. ''rhe method of spreading the
taxes for the improvement OF street
is really recognition of the single tax
idea. The hoard of review assesses an
owner for his frontage, making no diff
ference whatever whether the lot is
vacant, or has 1O-stoYy building ON it.
When Cansl street was improved for
asphalt, one certain 20-foot lot had
very moderate building on it which
was rented for $3.50 advanced on year.
The assessment of that lot for asphalt
was something less than 500.
: The rent of = building on the hill was
doubled after the cable road was built.
There is room for difference of
opinion in the matter of government
ownership of railways, but can see no
question about the right of 1t in regard
70 water and light. The single tax
theory is based ON the idea that the
governments is the rightfui owner of all
additions to the natural value OF the
land. The building Of the railway itself
creates the fund that is TO pay for itself.
Let the city build and equip the road,
aud then lease il for term of years,
then lease it again. 1t might be leased
to the company that would pay the
highest sum, or TO the company that
would furnish the best service for
stated fare. Or, run the cars free, and
AS that would increase the value of
property all over the city, the city
could gets its pay by taking this in
crease in value. Men put elevators IN
their buildings and hire q boy TO run
them, aud get their pay from the in-
creased rent they can demand. In the
single tax is its strength. Moralists and
philosophers have always been bothered
about the Puritans and other early
fathers had to the land they took pos
session OF. The single tax is the only
idea by which our forefathers can be
justified in the way they took posses
son OF this country.
Mr.. Edwin Burfoot argued for mu-
nicipai ownership because of the right
of it. Since water. and light, and rire
departments, and street railways had
grown TO be indispensable to the peo-
pic. they should all be controlled by
the people. He did not believe that
the work Of necessity. of humanity, of
civil .xatfon snoufd hss coufraticd hv Y1rl-
vate individuals.
Mr.. Burfoot IN thinking that necessities
should be controlled by the public lie
thought that bread and beefsteak we're
necessities, but doubted the propriety
of . public control of them. As for the
street railways in Grand Rapids. he un-
derstocd that the company had never
vet been able to declare q dividend.
He did not question the right of niu-
nicipAl ownership Of gas and water, but
he doHbtcd il the city would run such
ownership honestly. For his part. he
would be perfectly willing to let the
city experiment in owning the plants.
Alexander Fyfe. Sr., gave little talk
upon his personal knowledge Of city
ownership of pubic functions in Glas-
Cow. He further stated that chemists
declared that the gas that gas q mpa-
nies sell 10 really refuse aud could be
almost gwen away, the companies get
ting much more money out et the dye.
stuffs and chemicals that they extract
from The ceaI than they can possibly
get from selling gss.
A senerAi dlstusNon followed. IN
which The subject of the evening was