Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-18
Municipal vs.. Private Lighting.

To the EDITOR Of The Evening Star:
In his attempt to answer the facts and figures
which gave, Mr.. Foote wades through an en-
tire column Of irrelevant matter in the effort
to divert public attention from the only ques-
ton at issue, viz, whether we now pay an ex-
brilliant and unreasonable price for electric
lights and whether it would not be for the
public interest for the District to own and run
its own plant. That is the real and only ques-
ton, and SO far he has not produced one fact
or figure to disprove my position-not one. On
the contrary. as he admits, the very figures he
cited prove the correctness Of my position, and
I challenge him or any other man to prove the
contrary. In fact, it is self evident that the
municipality can furnish public lights, whether
electric or gas, cheaper than private company
can or will.
If a company engages in ii, Of course it does
SO for profit, and whenever it ceases TO be
quit the business. Now, the municipality can
buy and run the plant Just as cheaply as the
private company can, and supposing it pays the
same for service, deterioration, taxes and
everything else that the private company does,
is 1t not clear that there will be saving to the
pubic OF just what the profit of the private
company would be? 1t makes no difference
whether the price be reduced to simply equal
the cost or 1t be kept at the same the private
company charges. and the profit be paid into
the municipal treasury-the taxpaying public
will have the benefit Just the same in either
case.
And why shouldn't the public have the ben
eft? Why should / and the rest of the nnblic
be made to nav an unreasonable and n,peces-
sary price or tax for public lights simply to
put money into the pockets OF a few stock
holders In private company. and who are
usually men of means? III there ia anv instice
or reason in il should like 10 have Nv Foota
show us how and where.
l know the usual answer is that no,;ticaI in
fuence and dishonesty in mnn;c;n.f - - 80
der it impossible for a municipaIity tocondnct
anv such business as economicaIIy or snccass'
fuily as private comnanies do hn, a., bH,oh,",
has been expIoded nor onlv hy tha arnor;n,
of MANY wears in Euronean Cities b1t 80 ~
experience at home. where II has hen tr,ed .s
is shown nv Prof Fly Of tho Jobns UoDL;s
University. ' pA'"'
If any one has doubt ON tb,s ,o;r. ho s,or,a
read Prof. Shaw's lecture beforo ,ba -
Hopkins University a. to mnnic;naI govar,,s
ment in England published by the Jobns Hon
kins press And if not satisfied with those
then / suggest he read the descrintion of ..Tbe
Best Governed City in the World !, R;rn;r.,D
ham, by Julian Ralph. in Harper's Maenzine
page go of June 1890. "a Model gn,;o;
pality." Dresden. in the Cosmonolit.n ~ Jnna
81, page l63; "Paris. the TypicaI CITY t" in the
the Rise of the New Metropolis-" In the Ceptnry
OF June. 1892. page l72. and the descr;ntinn =,
the municinai eoyernment or parI;n h;ah -
TODAY the acknowledged model nrnicina1 go
eminent of the world in tbe Renort ON Eo-s,,,r
Relations for 1851. page 47s or as Sescr;haS 81
the address of the editor of the Boston He,,id
at Baltimore a wear or so since and nnb,;sbed in
pamnblet form - A
am well aware that our rnur;c;,,, .e.;-s
when managed bv the Tweeds and H., ,Iass =,
noliticians. have been most d,scr.cafuI hU,
thew do mot Constitute the msiori.x -; a.
American public by auy means. and for one 7
am not willing to admit that we cannot ind
inst as honest and inst as comne.ant mo-, ~
manage these affairs in the United S,st,s ~
they have in Europe.
And now to show that the ,rice We are nav
ing for public lighting is exorbi.ant and nm
reasonable / will cite some more facts and s.
ures. In January. 1891. in answer 10 a me-
vision in the District hill reonirino ..tba O.
missioners 10 INVESTIGATE ascart.in and re,1or,
what deduction may he maSa for COS a,,a r..
tric Iphting' (the same "a in The n-esan, D;s-
trict hin thew submitted a renort fro,n ,b. F.
sineer Commissioner nrensres nv Cant Lei
in which he savs be sen, ON, ahoI., eoo ;.s
ouiries and rece;vad neariy soo rar,;os s,a..
which no saws .stro t.hIss i,r 49, In
relating 10 arc LIGHTS ~ o0o nou,;n.I ..ndIa
nower5and two other tabies 90 - III,
more or Iess nonnIat;on Tahia Q 80 ~
c;,;os ubicb nv III oI.ran.h 49, .: -
- - NSns dr, Sonsineu