The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-06
FRIDAY, MAY 6. 1898.
MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS.

The Norfolk Pilot pauses a moment I'm
the midst Of the war excitement 20 say
that natural monopilics such as electric
light and gas plants. telephone and street
car lines should be owned and operated
by the city.
We agree in part with our contempt
rary. municipality is largely a busi-
ness corporation. 10 has little 10 do with
the great problems of general govern
ment. IL IS the creature Of the state as
surely as any other corporation charter
ed by the Legislature. and its object IS
10 promote the welfare of the inhabitants
of the city. who IN q certain sense, are
stockholders in the corporation. No one is
more opposed 20 socialism than The
Times, and we would as far as possible
keep the general government out Of the
business affairs OF the country, believing
that tho government will most surely
serve the interests Of the people and
protect them I'm their rights when fl
gives its whole attention to the true func-
lions OF government and NEEDLES not
with business.
But the case IS different with the NUM-
cipal corporation which. as we have said.
IS largely a business corporation. oXer-
cising few OF the functions OF the gem
eral government There IS no objection.
so far as We can see to municipal owner
ship Of these natural utilities TO which
our Norfolk contemporary refers But
fhero IS objection. and very serious OBJ
lection as We see &c. TO municipal opera
ton OF such utilities. il has been shown
by experience that I'm nearly all cases
where such attempts are made, at least
IN this country. there has been scandal
and there has been extravaganza, and
the general conduct of these utilities has
been far from satisfactory.
We have repeatedly alluded 10 the
philadelphia case. where. in order to save
the gas works from absolute wreck and
ruin, the city was compelled TO farm
them out TO q private corporation. and
about the first thing that the private
corporation did after 80 got control of the
works was to dispense with the services
,of six hundred (out Of twelve hundred
Employees who had been saddled upon the
city by politicians.
But we do not have TO go outside or
Virginia to find such Illustrations. We
have had our gas works scandal in Rich
mond. and 10 IS now announced that the
city Of Alexandria proposes 90 sen fits gas
plant because the operation of the plant
by the city has been most unsatisfac-
tory Alexandra has had a scandal too,
an connection with the. operation OF its
works, and we learn that the recent eX-
animation OF the gas accounts by an eX-
pert accountant showed that the city had
been losing money steadily in making and
selling gas.
Municipal ownership IS all right but
municipal operation is an wrong, for the
simple reason that In most cases these
utilities are operated by the politicians
upon political principles rather than by
business men upon business principles.
This Is a subject I'm which we feel
deep interest, and We would be pleased
No hear our esteemed Norfolk contem-
porary on this question Of municipal
operation. We would hear from our
contemporary its reasons for the conten-
xion that municipal operation is better
-kbAn operation by lease to private cor
korations.