Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-30
That Glasgow Lesson.
CWashlngton PostD


At various times during the last two
wears. advocates Of municipal ownership
OF street railways in the United states
have published wonderful reports or the
results Of that policy in the city or Gia7-
Cow, Scotland. Ii has been stated over
and over again that the property-owherS
i'm Glasgow had been relieved OF taNaloh
Tor municipal purposes by the pronts ac-
cruing from that source, ana rev otuei
items of the same general character. he
peated denials have not taken the Vltallty
out of this charming story, for there are
errors that, when wounded, do not
"yyrithe in pain nor "die among their
worshippers," but get up and go on another
round with quite as much alacriiy as
truth is said TO exhibit when crushed 10
earth" History is full OF lies that nave
successfully competed with and finally
supplanted truths.
The actual facts as TO municipal owner
ship of street railways in Glasgow are
again brought out, this time by the
Electrical Engineer, trustworthy du-
thority, and they VIII probably stand Tor
a few weeks, while the old ana otteh-
discredited report. laid up for repairs
will gather wind for another tour. Ac-
tordlng TO this authority Glasgow gets
an annual profit Of $4,000 from its street
car system, but that does not come WITHIN
a great many millions of paying the
citv's expenses. The salary-list alone
foots I'D about $40, 00O0 for 1000 pupllc
ennlovees. We do not deny that pront
Of IA 900 is worth considering by the Glas-
cow taxpayers, for II helps them III pay
ing interest on their municipal DEBT Oh
$40 O0OOCO but we do deny the assuLp-
ton that the same plan would De equally
successful in the cities of the United
| NH
| business is or under existing conditions
could be so well managed as that oil Glas-
cow. Washington is, probably the only
! city I'm the United states in Wnlch IL
! would be safe TO try such an experiment
| and this comes from the fact thal INC
| poople of Washington have httle OF hotH-
/ ing 10 do with their local government i.
| But. in this city, we doubt II Cohsl ' eS9
r,o,Id deem IL expedient TO transfer the
controI of the street railways 10 the Dis
! trict Commissioners, even II there Wele
no question as to the policy Of taxing
| thern from their present owners:
| Rut the rule not the solitary eAcep-
| tion. must be kept in view IN cohsiuer-
| ing the adaptability of municipal owner
| shin of railways TO the present cohultlolla
| in American cities. All our municipalities
| except the capital, are ruled by their VIZ
! ing citizens. and these elections are lol
| the most part very dlliA4etN't -
| for the control of offices and the hah"ill 3
of money. II Is believed that muhic,pot
| ofairs i'm most Of our cities are Tess
corruptly controlled now than they nave
generally been in the past but tnere -
| stilI vast room FOR improvement 10 aui
the street railways 10 the properly anu
their management 10 the responsibility OF
tbe ofBcers of our cities would lmniea-
srrabIv increase the opportunities lor
| snoils When the average American ci'y
is run as Glasgow IS, on business primer
nles and without politics, 1t VIII be IN
order for the advocates OF municipal con-
,rol 10 harp on the lesson OF -'assow.
| ant even then, they will have hard WORK
| 70 so successfully exploit the patef''al
theory as 10 convince majority OF lhelr
| fellow-cltlzens that a needless expansion
! of uaternalism is desirable. Ihele are
some things that a city must 90 Tor ~,
| seIf I'm order 10 be sure that they VA.
he well done. 1t must own anu coh'lo'
its water supply, for water Is almost az
| INDISPENSABLE as air. But no such metz
sitv exists in the case OF transpot ti''Oii
Under state and municipal laws the
street railway corporations can pe "a
controlled as TO meet all reasonable de-
| mauds.