Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-11-20


Thirty-four years residence in Chi.
cago has acquainted Henry 8. Boutell
with the city's wants. He should be In
Congress. And he will be.
The fact that Philadelphia hns given
up the experiment of municipal owner
ship of It's gas works and leased the
privilege to a private corporation does
not mean that municipal ownership Is
n failure. 1t means simply that the
conditions In Philadelphia were not
suited for this advance In city govern.
ment.
1t Is true. no doubt. as those who
favor the leaslng of gas works have
contended. that politicians have made
use Of the gas works as part of the
political system for paying debts. II II
also true that In later years the profits
from the plant have decreased I'm a
way that threatened the city at some
time with the burden Of running them
at n loss. II Is a fact that the manage.
ment of the plant hns been neither 40
efficient nor so economical as II would
have been II conducted by a private
concern Of skilled and shrcwd business
men.
All this proves nothing against NUM-
cipal ownership. II merely goes to
show that q satisfactory application OF
the plan. like good government itself,
cannot he secured until the spells. grab
bers are driven out Of the government.
Municipal ownership In Philadelphia
suffered from the UNANIMOUSLY bad ma
chine Influences which surround the 10.
cal government.
IT municipal ownership Of philadel.
phia gas works has been u failure. why
has the combination that jnmined u bill
for the lease of the works through both
houses Of the city legislature been 80
anxious TO get hold Of them? Why
were some votes In favor Of leasing
worth bribes Of $2O,OOOY Why has
great company Of slrewd capitalists
been 40 anxious to acquire such an I'm.
profitable ana disastrous piece Of prop
crty?
That Philadelphia has leased her gas
works because they were a failure I'M.
der city management II not the truth.
The net profits for the past nine years
have been $12.453, 10, and for the poor.
est year the city ever ran the works the
profits were x,i25.OOS.
IT the gus ana service furnished have
not been all they should have been. the
reason Is obvious. The gus works have
been IN politics. and the politics of Phil.
| a,lclphlu has been nOtOriOusly vile and
corrupt. Drawbacks In municipal
management IRE IN Indictment. not of
municipal ownership. hut Of the spells
system. and they ARE u reason for wip.
ing out that system by civil service re-
form. 80 that American cities may run
qunsi.pul'lic natural mOnOnOlles for the
benefit Of the people as foreign cities
| do.
The people Of Philadelphia have not
| despaired Of their gus works owner
ship. They have simply been sold out
by traitors.
One of the best things that have hap.
II
pene" 'or i'cu'e'' ~ .he inc' .na. 'ne
e.ow M" nus or"er', '"S ."",y
''en'or"cy 10 pr"ae tue Nor," Sue
s.re ' .. '>or'n sue ~ no. Nu ,,,
recognize the County Democracy" fel.
lows on sight. II they do this, AZ they
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