Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-05-28

bread and cut 1t in smooth, even Slices
while it was still warm.
When a Virginan started on a Journey
to New York he made his will and babe
farewell to his friends, as though he
never expected to see them again.
When a man had enough tea he placed
his spoon across his cup to indicate that
he wanted no more.
The favorite novels of "worldly"
young women were "Victoria," Lady
Julia Vaudeville" and malvern Dole"
Dances in Philadelphia were given
every two weeks, but young men under
20 and girls under IS were not admitted.
At the Christmas quilting parties
games were fashionable, with kissing
penalties.-[New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat.
FOR THE PUBLIC CONTROL OF FRAN
CHlSEs.
A communication in yesterdays Jour-
nal announces the organization of an as
ISOLATION the aim of which will be to
agitate and educate public thought in
favor of the municipal ownership of
certain class of franchises. The writer,
who is the counsel of the new league,
credits the tenacious fight made by the
journal against the greedy gas COM
panies as the initial force of the move
ment. 1t need not be said that the
Journal cordially approves the scheme
of such municipal ownership, as of all
those monopolies now in private hands
partaking of the character of public
service, especially street railways and
lighting mains. In a word, wherever
city ownership can cheaper the cost of
such primary necessities to the con-
sumner it becomes the duty of the NUM-
cipality to assume the burden, and to
take them out of the control of private
hands.
That an association has been formed,
entirely bipartisan in character, and
including such prominent names. led
by Rev. DR.. Ransford as president,
shows how strongly the principle of
municipal ownership has taken hold of
the most intelligent minds in the COM
muuity. 1t is not a question of un-
proved theory. 1t long since passed the
limits of economic guesswork. The
state ownership OF railroads, at least in
part, marking European administration
of such matters, need not now be cited.
Far more pat to the immediate purpose
is the example set by many of the prin-
cipal cities of Great Britain, where for
a period ranging from ten to twenty
years, gas, electricity and tramways
have been undrr direct municipal COLI
troll. The cheapening of rates in most
of the cities IN all these directions has
been from twenty to forty per cent.
Yet city management has been able to
pay itself fair interest on the value of
the various plants involved, besides
greatly improving all The details of SER
vice.
This experience is more eloquent than
anything which could be written on the
sGbiect. 1t proves that an honest pub
lie administration of such kinds of ser
vice is of vast benefit 10 the community.
The cutlery of socialism" which is at
once raised here in the discussion of such
propositions by the monopolistic news
papers, is never whispered in England
where much clearer notion of the true
nature of municipal functions seems tC
exist than in this republican land OF
ours.
The Association for the Control OF
Public Franchises" has begun a noble
work, and one, too, which is sure ulti
mately to be victorious. The whole
trend of contemporary facts is in thi;
direction. 1t is based on sound econ
omics, sound politics, sound morality
The fact that the membership of the AS
ISOLATION includes men of both partie;
and all subdivision of party on nationa
and state issues is highly significant
The journal will work in furtheranct
of the end in view in the future as it ha:
done in the past, with conviction thai
at no distant period it will loom into
one of the greatest practical issues Of
the times New York journal.