The Indianapolis journal., 1897-09-26

The mayor OF any great city is already bur-
dened with about all the work he is capable
of dscharging.
We'll, / think there might be distinction
drawn sharply between municipal owner
ship and municipal operation of such in
Stltutions as street-car lines. Tor example.
Gas works fall normally within the scope OF
municipal authority. 1t is as natural for
city to own and operate its lighting plant
as it's water works We in Chicago. have
not done it, largely because 1t was believed
that the electric light would speedily super
sede gas for general lighting purposes, and
that the municipal plant, established Dy
my father, would naturally develop into one
suitable to meet the needs OF the entre
city. The street railroads Ofter dlHerenl
proposition. In one sense they are even
more fit than gas plant for public owner
ship. for they occupy great part of the
surface of the streets, TO the exclusion OF
the public. Not only do they convey the
greater part of our population TO ana from
their places of business and in so doing
levy what is virtually a regular tax on ev-
cry citizen, but by their extensions or by
the character of their service they can make
or ruin a new section of the CITY at lhelr
will. But on the other hand, the manage
ment of the business of a street railway IS
of so exacting and technical character mat
it could not be added to the functions OF a
municipality which mayor ought TO super
wise, without seriously injuring his useful
ness in other directions.
MIGHT OWN AND suitcase.
Now, I don't mean by this that l would
exempt street-railway systems from the
6ttEl dl pIOpOSllAOlA tlleL ouOiA 1N'iA~N~~' -
are semi-public in character, dependent
upon public grants for their very existence
and tending irresistibly to become monopo-
lies, ought to be under the ownership and
control of the city. I think, rather, that
the one difficulty which / discern in this
particular case might be met by having the
city own, but not operate, the roads. The
lines might be leased out to the highest
bidder as l believe is done with complete
success in Toronto. OF course, the city
should even in this event retain some su-
pervision over the operation Of the lines so
that no section might be Disseminated
against"
so that you qualify your approval of
municipal ownership only with the stipula-
ton that it must not be carried to the point
of overburdenlng the mayor with purely
technical duties:
mo, there is one other point, and more
difficult one L do not believe in confisca-
ton. L do not believe that for the good OF
all the people except Gle we have any right
to take the property of that right one with
out due compensation.
But, Mr.. Mayor, how did these corpora
tionS get their property"
Sometimes by corruption, I admit; often
times by very shady transactions with
stocks and bonds But be that as it may,
| insist that, however corrupt the method
by which a corporation 0r individual may
have secured a public grant, the public has
no right to take it again without due and
son why l dislike the S1ngle-tax theory IL
suggests to me only contiscatiOn; seizure
by force of numbers expressed through the
ballot box instead of with arms do not
believe that two wrongs can make a right.
If years ago a Shrewd and constituencies
group of spectators, by bribing aldermen
and city officials, have secured control OF
certain streets in this city without ade-
Quate remuneration TO the people, they COM
mitted wrong. If we to-day seize. with
out compensation, streets, we in our turn
commit a wrong. In all probability we
would not have the slender Justification OF
who robbed US of it, for the stocks and
bonds of these corporations pass rapidly
into the hands of innocent holders. From
being robbed we would turn robbers. That
/ don't believe in. The public sense of hon
or ought to be too high to permit the con-
temptation of such a course"
But how could you estimate the value
of street-railway system? The amount
of capitalization would furnish no guide.
"Of course not. The public can't be eX-
pected to pay fair prices for watered stock.
But it would not be hard to estimate the
value of the plant of any quasi-public cor
poration. A court could do it; board of
arbitratorS would be equal to the task
We have to estimate the value of all the
property in the city annually for taxation
1t ought not to be difficult to estimate the
value of a gas plant for purchase. The
process would, of course, be greatly SIM
plified if it should come at the expiration
of franchise, for then the tangible prop
erty of the corporation only would have to
be appraised"
II should judge, then, Mayor Harrison,
that you could put your ideas. upon munich
pal ownership in a phrase. Will you do
Yes. 1 should phrase it in somewhat
this way: All the municipal ownership of
natural monopolies that a hard-working
private property for public use without full
compensation"