Morning journal and courier., 1893-02-08

Each district proposed to be included in the city has its own local affairs and it's own local society. But in @ larger senee the business and social relations of each district are ss closely connected with the present city ss though already an integral portion of it. Opposition to the expansion of the municipality by any owner of land wisely selfsh policy as relating to his own pscuniary interests and hindrance to the welfare of the whole people.
 Most of the inhabitants of these suburbs arc there, not because of the locality in which the suburbs are, but because of New Haven and it's business. A closer social and political connection will benefit all.
 TOWN AND CITY.
 As to the territory within the limits of the present town and city of New Haven, it should certainly be under one govern nent; either all town or all city.
 While there are some advantages in a government by few, as by a board of selectmen, history shows that 8 govern ment of populous city by an oligarchy whose decrees are passed with more or less secrecy and without public debate, is apt to favor particular individuals and special interests, however virtuous and patriotic the individual members may be in their private life. The people are soon for gotten.
 I have had advertised a proper notice that application will be made to the gen. ersl assembly at its present session for the passage of an act to extend the city lines to coincide with the town lines, but to accomplish the object immediate instruc- tions should be given by your honorable
 body to the corporation counsel to present
 to the general assembly bill for the pur-
 pose as the next step.
 WORKS OF PUBLIC NATURE.
 In my inaugural sddreas of January,
 1891, stated my bslief that all works of
 3 public nature, carried on mainly within
 the bnunds of municipality and for the
 purpose of supplying the inhabitants with
 certain daily re requirements of civilized city
 life, and requiring special rights of emi-
 nent domain to distribute their prcduct
 should be owned and operated by the peo-
 pie and in the sole interest of the people.
 Further investigations, observations and
 correspondence with city officials of Amer
 ican and English cities add confirmation to
 my belief.
 their community and it's government the
 better citixsns they become. There eau be
 no better method of creating and inoreas-
 ing that interest than to make them all shareTs in the prosperity and benefits de- rived from these public enterprises whose only customers are themselves, and that necessarily, are monopolies in whatever
 they have to sell and in the use of the pub
 lie streets for the purpose of the business. It is certainly better for the people to own and control these municipal mono polies than to bs controlled by them. Ne ho fnrtC-siv oifiaa of Naxp poland that have a population of over fifteen thousand people, the water works of thirty eight of them are owned and operated by l the people. The remaining eight cities arc supplied by priyats corporations; to the gain of the corporations and at loss to l ths people who are not stockholders Ia all cases Of public ownership the l works wers paid for by the issue of bonds bearing interest. Moet of these water 1 works were built from the start by the cities; but many were built by private corporations, and afterwards taken by the l cities under acts of legislature, and i'm. proved end extended.
 Of all the forty six waterworks in cities of over fifteen thousand people, the | thirty eight owned by the people publish ! annual statistics, including income from water rates and the annual expense of operating, repairs, extensions, etc, but I nearly all of the eight private corporations ! decline to give any information whatever l concerning income and operating expenses and cost of repairs.
 The published statistics of those owned
 and operated by the public show for one year as follows:
 oeerang so expsnses and cost of re- pe''is 'oo'soo n.i, fo- o,oro,r co 1-o oec In most cities there is charge made by l the water department to the city for water l for the fire department, at 8 certain sum 1 Der fire hydrant.
 l Iu every one of the cities owning the 1 water works the net income leaves hand l some profit after paying interest and all other expenses This profit is ueed In par ! towards paying off the bonds, and in part for further extensions of ths works and pipss. It is the policy of all theae cities tn keep the average rates to consumers nearl ' l as high as the average rates of the private ! corporations, uu'il inc bonds are ell paid 1 when the peopis may have water ct actual cost of delivery, or a city income be de ! rived from the wstrr.
 l The production of illuminating gas and
 its distribution to oons1mers hy tre public l has not been 20 popular as tna- If storing ! 1 that the simple processes of the production l of gas have been concealed in mystery to the 1 great gain of the stockholders aud cost ef the public. There can bs no complaint 1 against the New Haven Gas Light com pany
 except ae to price. Under a we'll managed works owned by the city the cost of the gas delivered, including interest, would be very much lower thsa present rates. l So with electric lights. In conse quence ! oc &l ~E -S- l of the means of gathering electricity from 1 the great etorehouse of nature tho public has generally feared to engage ia the work 1 of supplying itself with electricity for 1 causing light and for the transmission of l power. But the few cities that have built and operated their own electric plants have found great advantage in 50 doing. i In the matter of streets and street rail ! roads it will not bs disputed that good | streets are necessity of advanced civili- ] zatIon, and it ia the admitted right of the l sidewalks, either at the general expense or l at the expense of the owners of the abut- l ting land, or at the joint expense of both parties. Expensive asphalt and granite 1 psvements are constructed and so paid I for, as a common right for public use on ] the public streets.
 To lay street car rails in the streets by the public for the public use is only one step in advance of laying pavement, and
 Is legitimate step required by the increas- ing needs of civilization, and the contin-
 ually increasing necessity of the people to congregate in cities for employment. Tho right of the whole people to improve their streets and highways at the public expense by paving or laying car tracks is
 sure. It is question of public policy
 only. The whole people, through their legislature, can permit the inhabitants of 8 municipality or locality to do, on their public streets, whatever they can permit a private corporation to do, even to the
 extent of running cars by horses or other
 power, as is being successfully done in
 many cities by the municipality. although
 in the cities of England in which the pub
 lio owns all the municipal monopolies the tracks are usually leased to companies that run the cars on terms mutually satisfac- tory, and to the gain of the people. Permission by the Connecticut legisla- ture to private corporations to lay car tracks in streets and highways where they please and to run their cars when and as they please, without particular reference to the