New-York tribune., 1896-12-28
THE NTNICTP4L PROBLEM

The announcement that after next frida!
january l. the city of Glasgow. Scotland. VIII
levy no taxes on its citizens because IL VIII
have n sufficient revenue from its public WORKS
furnishes a striking object lesson to American
cities Our readers will recall Mr.. FOrds III
| teresting letters some time ago on the munci-
pal ownership Of public works in English ana
Scottish cities. 1t is. in fact. along the lines
of municipal ownership thar Great Britain Is
solving the municipal problem. and apparently
solving il with entire success. The cry OF
State socialism has been raised against the
plan by few unthinking people; but there
is no point in the objection. municipalities
now furnish their citizens with water. and all
civilized governments operate the postal ser
vice. Why should it be more socalslc for II
municipality to manage its transportation or
furnish its citizens with gas:
When Glasgow became the owner of It's tram
way lines. about two years ago fares were
fixed at one. two, three. or four cents. accord
ing to distance. During the first eleven months
July !. 1894 TO June l. 1891. J'.o4GG4o pas
sengers were carried at an average fare Of less
than two cents. Thirty ynne per cent OF the
fares were only one cent. and yet the roads
made handsome profit. For the second year
they show net profit Of more than $2OW.O~,
after allowing for interest taxes and deprccia-
ton. If this is the result of municipal owner
ship in a city with population of not more
than 100000 it is entirely safe to say that Il
like result would follow from municipal owner
ship of strectcar lines in American cities. II
certainly would follow if our municipal GOV
crnment was as good as that Of the average
British city. What we need TO do is 10 purify
our municipal government first. and then We
shall be in position to follow the good eX-
ample of Glasgow and other cities of Great
Britain Had \ew-YOrk been in a position 10
adopt that policy years ago. instead Of fOOling
away its valuable franchises. the city could
be carried on to-day without a cent of taxes
from its citizens
Nor is it in Great Britain only that we find
instructive examples Of wise municipal admin
istratiOn Paris, which has the reputation of
being one of the wickedest cities in the world.
is, in some respects, one of the best-gOverned
cities in the world In 1854 the omnibus lines
of the city were consolidated as the Compagnie
Generate des Omnibus. TO which an exclusive
franchise was granted for thirty years. This
franchise has been modified as the city grew
BY the arrangement Of 1860 the company
agreed to pay 100000 francs a year. or
1000 francs apiece for 800 vehicles II now
pays that sum- and in addition. 1000 francs
apiece for every vehicle operated beyond the
number of 800. A similar arrangement is made
with the tramway companies. This system
has worked well and has proved most ucra-
tive TO the city. The municipality is now re-
ceiving more than 2,O0O.OO francs n year for
Its streetpassenger franchises and in 1910.
when the franchises will have TO he renewed
ii will be able TO make an even more advan-
tagcous contract with the companies. This
matter is especially interesting to New-Yorkcrs
just now. because the same principle Of renew
ing public franchises at the end of a stated
period is embodied in the proposed Greater
New-iork charter. No problem now before
the American public is more important than
that of municipal reform and economy. and The
experience Of such cities as Glasgow and Paris
will throw much light on the proper way in
which to solve it,