The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17

is sold as low rs so to 60 cents, and the high.
est 81 20 and even $40.
Dollar gas is by no means unusual;in ;Eng.
land, though most OF the large cities range
i smeres S1,I 'S with 70 rs 80 s SSn'S works G."S s%d i IN i ISSH
charged SO cents per 900 cubic feet, but this
left a gross profit of only S333,96o, which, after
providing interest on loans and unnuitics on
stocks and sinking fund. left q balance OF only
~ 500 Perhaps Glasgow might be com Ip
onc.third more per ion in tho american city.
There is now, | believe, a proposition before the
Council Of ph.lndciphia TO i furnish the o city W w I'm
feet, and l am not sure but a. low rs 80 or even
s5 cents. II THIS j? true. it may he said 70 be IN
advance of the achievements of munici palized
gas in England mean, Of coursc, when. tho
price of coal, Of labor wages less than half our
:a,es IN England, and illuminating power is con-
Looked at dispassionatcly then, we find two,
thirds OF the English gas works being worked
10y private enterprise, and onc.third b! the local
authorities. The instances of the British munt-
cipal gas works 80 frequently referred to by
much in advance, if Mt all, of the best iliustrn-
lions OF private ownership in the United States.
Electric lighting has had its beginning during
the period o; greatest activity in acquiring these
trio plants owned by the municipalities than by
private corporations. The two systems Of pub;
lie and private supply seem to have worked
well together. That is, some cities simply own
vtduals. There are other cities owning the gas
works, and hence finding ii convenient to have
private corporations own the electric plants.
n IL ' lpo VI GOV Y g tlJJh ~ WIZ
trio lighting plants in operation, and of, this
number the cities owned about seventy and pri-
waite companies about. fifty. was told OF a
dozen or more towns that Originally started in
the electric lighting business. but subsequently
decided to transfer The business to private COM
punies. To offset this, We have perhaps half
the number OF cities where the reverse has
taken place.
Tho comparison Of tho municipality owned
electric lighting plants, with those owned by
private companies has brought forth no start
ling, results in favor of the formcr-that is. in
/ nUlnn lbnSS1hlv N nr mir 10 1 ~
municipal ownership theorists on this side the
Atlantic may make claims in this direction, but
facts upon which such claims could safely be
based. 4 fair statement OF the results would
be that the privately owned companies have
most efficient service, while the municipalities
charge three or four cents per unit less for he
current. When carefully weighed, however,
the results about balance. 1t must be distinct
ly understood that this article is in no sense IA
plea in favor of private ownership and against
dcrtakings: The object Is simply to get at the
facts in relation to these, mattcrs-facts which
municipal ownership that believe the time
has come to clear the way for n fair discussion
based on facts, not assumptions.
OF upward of 900 miles of municipal tram.
ways in the Cnited Kingdom in 1896. the OH
ciai returns show that those OF Blackpool,
miles; Leeds. Il miles; Plymouth, 4 miles. and
Sheffield. 10 miles. total less than 100 miles,
were owned and operated by, the municipality,
The facts in relation to all OF these expert
mcnts in municipal operation. with the ,exccp
s nPn d nlnss an indieatio M that pDIs' such va" an &c enter Tor
Prise can be operated better or even as well by
The mnnicipaii.y as by private enterprise
gentlemen in charge of these municipalities
enterprises will make any great claims of suc
cess. The most they will say il that they arr
working out a comparatively small problem
when compared with the $4,000 miles OF stree
sTs,!T IS " II ne w. United anG j'S MG r They ;n will r tel
land up to date has S15.oGO 900 in street rail
ways. and the United States 81 400. 100000
we can work out successfully this problem on
small scale in England under our conditions
it is by no means certain that You, under sucl
vastly differing conditions, could do ikewis
in the United States"
SO far 1t must be remembered that munici
pal ramways in the United Kingdom nave i'll
vnlvcd an expenditure or capital Of about $l3
uoJ,OOn. 1t Is, OF course, impossible 10 Eo int
the details OF these enterprises In an article q
this general character. From AN English poin
OF view these street railways, municipal an
private, are managed fairly well; From tn
American point of view, they would not be to
Grated in n backwoods town 500 miles froI
civilization. The fact is, the business is in ii
infancy. the total, number OF passengers ca
ricd for the whole United kingd' m in ls9
being about. 160.O 900 900 and for En-iand abOu
SO. 900, 900, probably equivalent to the tot;
number OF passengers carried in Greater Nc'
York. several cities are contemplating takin
over their street railways. and Liverpool Ia
ways to go into effect this year, while othG
cities have secured The Passage OF bills throug
fArllhlllenl, una Scl OtncIo nave traIlWhy OIL
pending. giving authority to the municipality I
go into tho business. Ii is not the intention I
go into the detail of these experiments, actui
and IN the future, but rather to take Il bri,
view of the situation AS ii stands to-day.
The facts herein brought out may be thu
summarizes: Half the water works ct En-
land are owned ny private companies and ha
by local authorities; tWO-thlrds OF the "a
plants by private conf nn!ca and one third \
local authorities: about S. per cent. Of II
electric lighting plants by local authorities MI
A. per cent. by private companies. or Lon
miles of traIDwayS less than 100 miles a.
owned and operated y The municipalities.
5 the total mileage. $50 miles of truck Is own,
by local authorities and leased to private cor
, lanies, wh,nh operate them, paying tho clti,
for the privilege of running over their tracks.
! \ dispHssiOnatc review OF the facts indicat,
> that the question OF municipal or private Ow
errhip Of the iour ,la5 OF profit -making u
. dertakings wa have discussed is stil n d
butAblo question, even in England. VIII
: much can be said in favor of individual |
stances on both sides OF the question, tho la
al present obtainablc are entirely i~nsuiticic
, to warrant .the dOgnIa,ic statement Indulge
. in by the friends OF mUniClpaliEdti0n OF gre
!. industrial undertaken -. The magnitude of q
/. interosts involved, and the infinite array
! data to he examined and siftcd before accura
q Judgment can bc passed, may well cause &
y conservative, practical man TO hesitate, whe
: theorists and enthusiasts rush madly in, obi
a ious OF tho many dangers ahead.
$ ROBERT u. PORTER.