New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-25

| =, 80, o,.or the streets was considered pub
| lie necessity The regulation OF street car ''a'"'
was accepted as public obligation Inc munic-
! ipality has dictated terms to the corporaoo"''
| II has required them to provide adequate ACCOUNT
mediation for passengers II has secured 10" ra'es
OF fare with reductions during the hours "hen
working people go to and from their laDor' IL mas
carefully regulated the speed; and IL mas oo'a'neu
ordinarily in addition to a regular rehtai amman
payments OF interest charges ana Contributions
| 70 the sinking fund which would liqudae the
original cost Of construction An oVerc'o""e'
streetcar is never seen in Dundee. Edinburgh or
| Glasgow II every seat Is occupied, the coho"c'oi
is not allowed to receive another passenger II a
policeman sees passenger standing IN car "
is his duty to arrest the conductor. who has con-
nived at the violation OF the municipal regula-
] lions N a car be running at higher speed IMAM
| the lease permits the driver and the conductor
| are equally liable to arrest. Street cars IN SCOT
land NAV not move as rapidly as the American
| trolleys but the fares lower. and the passeh-
gers always have seats. The graduated system OF
| paying by the mile. instead Of UNIFORM ia'e
without regard for distance, also tends TO promo'e
economy.
THE COMPANIES FIND IT PROFITABLE
The companies while paying rentals. interest
charges and sinking fund levies which enable
the city to keep the street pavement IN repair
and to secure complete reimbursement TOT the
first cost OF construction. doing reinunera-
tive business, at least In large cities during the
half-year ending in June the Edinburgh street
Tramways Company declared dividend OF per
cent although the weather had been exception
ally severe from January to the end OF March.
At the same time fares had been reduced on the
Leith line to a halfpenny for the beneht or work
ing people. In Dundee for the year ending on
May 81 there was large surplus after all the
obligations to the municipality had been met ana
a dividend of s per cent was declared against
per cent for the previous year. THESE corpora
tons are prosperous and there is no public feel
ing against them. The municipalities do not ex-
act hard conditions. but they require the COM
panies to provide adequate service and accommo-
dalton at low rates. Passengers are not josted
and trampled upon in cars but invariably ride in
comfort to their destinations. There Is no popular
prejudice against corporations when pay lot
their privileges and treat their patrons lairiy'
When good dividends are declared every one is
pleased The same conditions prevail In Engnsn
cities like Birmingham, where the tramWays are
leased to corporations operating them either by
horse power, steam or electricity. Fares are low,
there is a seat for every passenger speed Is regu-
lated and business is sufficiently good to yield
| reasonable dividend after all fnunicpal charges
have been paid
In Glasgow municipal ownership Of tramways
has led to municipal operation of them. The
leases. which made in 1872 expired last year.
The terms had been more rigorous than the con
ditons of ordinary municipal leases. The com
panies had been required to pay yearly rental
of $3.50 mile. interest charges and sinking fund
deposits large enough to cover the entire cost OF
construction. and an additional sum for repairs
equivalent to per cent of the original invest
ment. At the same time fares were limited to a
penny per mile and to "A halfpenny during the
hours when working people were most likely to
use the lines A local syndicate had purchased
| the lease at a handsome premium, and then had
attempted to assume all the Liabilities to the
municipality and to pay dividends on the stock.
1t succeeded after arduous struggle In carry
ing the burden of the heavy premium and In de-
claring dividends Of 10 per cent When the com
panies undertook to obtain renewal OF the leases
the municipal authorities demanded terms which
would have brought into the treasury OF the town
a handsome revenue: but the syndicate which had
been dividing 10 per cent surplus was reluctant TO
| accede TO the new conditions The Town Council,
after endeavoring to purchase the plant at fair
| valuation, turned the syndicate adrift ana organ
| lied municipal service for the operation OF the
lines
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT.
The experiment has been remarkably success
full During the first eleven months OF the opera
tion Of the Glasgow tramways as branch Of the
municipal service the gross revenues were 1925
4l4 and the expenditures, including interest and
the maintenance and repair OF roadways. build
ings machinery rolling stock and plant were
-VN,LDJ "a
OF which IS 260 reserved in lieu OF the average
sum contributed by the tramway corporations
under the lease. Although new equipment Of
cars and horses had 10 be provided. and the de-
tails OF a complex business mastered by mex
perenced officials the results OF municipal opera
ton Of the lines were highly satisfactory. The
retiring companies driven from the tracks had
endeavored to utilize their horses and to compete
vigorously with the municipal service by means
OF omnibuses. The public preferred to patroniZe
the cars. and the omnibuses have continued to do
/ lipn hn no "A
large increase of business. The service had been
greatly improved; larger and better cars had been
provided; the display Of advertisements had been
prohibited; fares had been reduced; and numerous
handsome stations had been built in various por-
tons Of the city. The tramways Of Glasgow
to-day operated entirely to the satisfaction OF the
public The experiment of the complete munich
palization Of the street car business so far as 1t
has been tried has been markedly successful in
Glasgow. Other towns have entered boldly the
same field Blackpool. on the west coast owns
and operates electric railway. Huddersfeld
has steam tramways conducted by municipal SER
wants. Experience OF the results Of corporation
operation is perhaps too brief to justify general
conclusions; but Glasgow apparently has demon
strated the practcability ola municipal street
car service Either electricity steam or cables
will speedily be substituted for horses In the city
lines.
l have no space in reserve for describing the
wonderful system of Improvements by which the
plague spots OF Glasgow and Dundee have been
converted into fine business sections and whole
some districts for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The mu-
inequalities have not only bought and sold large
areas but daring experiments have been tried in
the construction Of model tenements. which
let to working people. NATURALIZATION has been
carried long way in the direction Of State
cialism when the town has become landlord
with blocks Of tenement-houses to let to the work.
ing classes. Then there public baths in vari-
Gus sections Of the town; municipal washhouses
where women can hire stalls for laundry work;
| municipal markets and slaugh ter houses; NUM-
cipal lodging houses conducted on self-support-
ing basis; and, indeed, all the institutions
devised by enlightened English reformers in the
field Of local government-with a single exception,
a municipal free library. Glasgow Is great
municipality Pre-emnenty a centre Of working
activity. 1t has led the way in adapting local gov
eminent to the conditions of Industrial life
In overcrowded cities. !. n. F.