The Advocate and news., 1898-10-19

Richmond, Va, has owned its gas
works since 1852. At 81 per 1000 feet
the city realized profit Of $6,O28.
The municipal printing plant owned
by the city OF Boston made a profit Of
$500 in the first six months Of its ex-
istence.
Glasgow has erected the Peoples Pal
ace, a large public building, from part OF
the profits Of the municipal street rail-
ways.
The markets of Berlin bring a reve-
nue. Of $645, 900 to the city. Any surplus
is devoted to lowering the rents Of shops
and stands.
The Melbourne (Australia) metropoli-
tan gas company, owned by the city,
declared a profit for the past half year
of $750,000.
The profits from the Glasgow munich
pal street railway in 1898 were $5O2,OOO,
or nearly three times as much as they
were in 1896.
In Manchester, England, the munich
pal gas works bring in a net profit of
100000 year, while 100000 year Is
received from the management Of the
markets slaughter houses.
Six years ago only twenty cities Of the
United States owned their electric hight
ing plants; now the number has reached
200, and in no case can 1t be said that
munlcipalization was not success.
London wanted sewer constructed.
The public engineer estimated the cost
of it at $4,000; contractors offered to
do it for $55,0OO. Then the city went
ahead and did the work itself for $4,000.
In Glasgow, Scotland, 80 per cent. of
street railway fares are cent, and
the average of all fares Is under cents,
yet the citys roads made a profit of
$111,0O in the first eleven months Of
municipal operation.
In Switzerland, from the smallest viii
lagos, telephone message can be sent
to any place in the republic for cents.
Government ownership of the telephone
here would give an equally reasonable
rate, or nearly so.
Last year, Manchester, England, made
a profit Of 100000 from its municipal
electric light. Bradford made $500, 900,
and Edinburg made $17,500. In no case,
as yet, has municipal ownership proved
Improbable.
The Baltimore Sun says that the city
Of Jacksonville, Fla, gets about $1,000
a month from its municipal plant for
commercial electric lighting. The plant
cost 100000 1t furnishes the city with
light worth about $17,S0O year.
In Berlin the public street railways
aVlvy tO In nV1t
miles, as often as you please, for $3.50
year, running average Of about ten
miles for l cent, Yet profit Of 40 per
cent. is made on the passenger traffic.
In Switzerland there are relief sta
tiOns for the unemployed, where they are
given food and meals. The price charged
for dinner is only cents, and Is cents
for a nights lodging. In 1896, 10000
were cared for in these relief stations.
The fact that Chicago, under the sys-
tenn Of private ownership Of electric
lights, paid $3.50 year per light, while
under public ownership the city pays
but $96 per year, shows the enormous
profits secured by electric lighting COM
panies
The average cost of electric lights In
131 cities in the Unite States operated
by private enterprise is cents per can
die power. The average cost of electric
light in twenty-four cities in the United
States operated by public enterprise is
21s cents per candle power.
The city of Anderson, Ind, has held,
for months, that, il it gained the own
ership Of the waterwOrks, the electric
: light plants and the street railways,
iere would be no need to levy cents
hxation. Working upon this plan, the
itizens have gained possession Of the