The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-19
THE MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP H..
LUSION

paigns have seen precious little realiza-
tion OF the ideas they promoted on the
stump which, through so called good
government reformers, nave aimed at the
far distant target Of municipal ownership
Of the properties now owned by private
corporations selling their service to the
city under franchises that fres hem from
competition. Failing utterly 10 secure
10 the citizens mislod by the promises of
reform in municipal expenditures. three
cent car fares and transfers and n reluc-
tion OF the tax rate, the promises held out
which accomplished at the most only
change in the partisanship of the admin
istration of municipal affairs, their
dreams are farther from realization than
ever before
That is just as well. Even their news
paper organ refused To follow them in
pursuit of the municipal ownership hal
lucnation, though it was naturally Will.
ing TO use these sanguine young cam
paigners TO accomplish is own purpose
of destroying the Republican party and
setting up boss-ship of itself 10 which
the local Dem ooracy shoald DOW.
AS matter of fact tho study of muni-
cipal problems that the young reformcrs
have created something Of q yearning
for has been far from disadvantageous
though the results os such stndy could
! bUt be disastrous TO their hopes We are
learning moro and more of the truths of
such hypothesis as they offer for debate.
and the hard facts knock their super
fetal theories galley west Philadelphia
has recently offered a sensational demon.
! stration Of failure in the conduct of mu-
nicipal gas works and IL glad TO turn over
the control to private company whioh
| will bring to it expcrt knowledge and m
| earnestncss. born of necessity 10 serve the
public well and make money for itself
| that can hardly be- expected tn mark tho
management of plant intrusted to pub
| lie officials, who look only to thoir sal
aries and tenure of office and have had
no especial training or been through the
| school of experience and business COM
petition to especially fit them for the
| work.
We have boen favored, thanks TO the
kindergarten school of reform, with
glowing talos of the municipal millennium
| said to have reached such towns as
Birmingham in England and Glasgow In
| Scotland but that these tales have been
| exaggerated mas been moro than suspect.
| ed and is now demo nstrated in an able
| review of municipal ownership by cx-
| superintendent OF the national census,
| the Hon. Robert II. Porter. 1t appears
| that in England as with US the question
of municipal ownership is yet only prob
| lem. and its experiments have been far
from satisfactory. while, on the whole.
the advance made in America compares
| very favorablv with that accomplished in
| England and we are by no means behind
other countries in putting to test the
theories with which the country is
| flooded.
| 1t appears that in one-half the muni-
supply is under private control though
here in Providence we are rather proud
of the fact that the municipality conducts
| its water works at profit. though t
furnishes such poor water that IL tho
plant were run by a private corporation
under franchise an indignant people
would rise up AMI smite 1t and probably
declare the franchise null and void. In
the United Kingdom more than two
thirds of the municipal gas plants arc In
the hands of private corporations, includ
ing those of many larger cities. In the
ownership of elecsyin lighting plants the
number OF municipalities running their
own plants rather exceeds those that let
the job to private companies, but the
results of puplic ownership are not
superior by eny means.
OF street car properties municipal
ownership in the United Kingdom
claims less than 100 miles of operated
line cut of total of 1000 miles Of tram
way ana with the exception of Glasgow's
service there IL no comparison between
the results of private and public owner
ship favorable TO the latter. AS lesson
10 the United States with their Is. 600
miles OF street railway our municipal
ownership advocates will have hard
time to find any strong Justification In
England for their claims
Briefly, then. while much can bc said
IN favor of indigidual Instances on both
sides OF the question, the data at present
obtainablc are entirely insufficient TO
warrant the dogmatic statement ind ulped
in by the friends OF municipalization of
great Industrial undertakings. As Mr..
| Porter puts IL. the magnitude Of the in
tercsts involved. and tho infinite array Of
data TO be examined and sifted before
accurate jtd .ment can be passed, may
we'll cause the conservative. practical man
10 hesitate, whero theorists ana entnusi-
asts rush madly in, oblivious OF tho
many dangers ahcRd.
|
| We should say that our esteemed fellow