The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-09-21
AN ARSENAL OF FACTS
Figures and Arguments Showing the
Advantages of Municipal Owner
ship, Gathered From All Parts OF
the World.
Coming NatiOn.)

l. Coming Nation)
Montgomery, Ala, ha 9 purchased the local
water works.
Mobile, Ala, voted in. favor of a municipal
water works plant.
Healdsburg CAL has voted to own and
operate her own water works.
OSHKOSH. Wis, is contemplating the pur-
chase of the water works plant
Cloverdale Cal. voted for municipal
ownership of water and light plants
Reno New. is putting in a new water
system and also building an electric light
plant.
Caldwell. Ohio. has built it's own electric
light plant and has also repaired its water
york;.
The Municipal Savings bank of Berlin has
| o4S.079 depositors, with total deposits of
81, OCG 0OO.
Citizens of Columbus. Miss, have voted
in favor of issuing $4,000 bonds for new
water works and sewer system
BY the deciding vote of Mayor Cruzen
the city council Of Paxton, ILL.,, voted to
purchase and operate an electric light
plant
Richmond, Va. has owned its gas works
since 1852. At 81 per GOO feet the city real
lied IN 1896 profit of $6,O2S.
The municipal printing plant owned by
the city of Boston made profit Of $3.50 in
the nrst six months of it's existence
Glasgow has erected the Peoples Palace
a large public building. from part of the
profits of the municipal street RAILWAYS
The selfish and interested few may de-
feat the will of the people few wears
! longer, but universal public ownership is
coming.
The markets of Berlin bring a .evenue
of $645,OCO to the city. Any surplus is de-
voted to lowering the rents Of shops and
stands.
The Melbourne (Austraia) METROPOLITAN
Gas company, owned by the city declared
profit for the past half year of $4,000.
The profits from the Glasgow municipal
street railway in 1898 were $5O2 ,OGO or nearly
three times much as they were in 1885
The proposition submitted to the voters
of New Paynesville, Mimi, to erect water
works and electric light plant was car
ried.
:'Inbury vas t1c first town in Connecti-
cut to municipalize it's gas and electric light
plants, The new venture meets with gem
eral approval.
BY vote of more than to l the people
or Mobile, Ala, have voted in favor Of
city water works and a system Of sewers
to be owned by the municipality
Paris gets her public lighting at cost and
N,O0OOOO frances year as her share Of the
profits Of six companies, whose rights
all revert to the city at the expiration oil
their charters.
The city of Jena. Germany, owns a rev
cry, which yielded a profit of So 900 last
year. Community bakeries would D., still
more profitable and socially more benefit
ting.
In Manchester, England. the municipal CTS
works bring in a net profit or So,,.Au Il
year, while 100000 a year Is received from
the management of the market slaughter
houses. r..
Six years ago only 20 cities OF tne United
States owned their electric lighting plants;
now the number has re achei 200 and in no
ease can it be said that Standardization was
not a success
In GLASGOW, Scotland, . per cent Of the
street railway fares are 1 cent, and the
average of all fares is unler cents yet
the city's roads made 4 profit Of $4,000 in
the first ii months OF :nt.'licip;ll operation.
In Switzerland. In tho smallest villages
a telephone message can be sent to any
place in the republic for ) cents Govern
ment operation of the telephone here wauld
give an equally reasonable rate. or ear
ly So 80
Last year Manchester England mace a
profit CT Si00,'1C from it's municipal electric
lSlt Bradforl made 80, 30 ;,al Edinburgh
made S1'5oo In no ,asfs Is Yet, has nluniHl.
IA ownership proved Improbable
The town council Oft Tarnopol Ga
licia, Austria by force of circumstances
decided to operate a bakery and sell the
bread at cost to the people. 1t also approp-
rated $3.50 for the free distribution of bread
among the poor.
The Baltimore Sun says that the CITY of
Jacksonville, Fla. gets about $1,000 month
from its municipal plant for commercial
electric lighting. The plant cost 100000 1t
furnishes the city with light worth about
$1i 800 a year.
Duluth Mimi, has issued $3.50 900 worth of
bonds at per cent to pay for the plant of
the gas and water company, which the city
voted to own and operate. The bonds are
to be sold by popular subscription in any
number from one up.
The fact that Chicago, under the system
Of private ownership of electric lights,
paid $3.50 a year per light while under public
ownership the city pays but $96 per year.
shows the enormous profits secured by
electric lighting companies.
In Switzerland there relief stations
for the unemployed where they are given
food and meals The price charged for
dinner is only cents, and 10 cents for a
nights lodging. In 1896 $4,000 were cared
for in these relief stations.
The Dresdener Anzeiser IL a daily news
paper which is owned and operated by the
city of Dresden, Germany. 1t be-
queathed to that city by its former propri-
etor upon the condition that all profits
arising therefrom should be spent upon the
public parks
The average cost of electric lighting in
131 cities in the United States, operated by
private enterprise is cents pea candle
power. The average cost of electric light
ing in "a cities in the United States oper-
ated by public enterprise is 21a cents per
candle power
The city of Lausanne, Switzerland, has
experienced such satisfactory results by
municipalzing the gas works that the city
council is now considering the purchase
of the water works. which are still in pri-
vate hands and Inadequate to supply the
water needed.
Detroit owns it's own water works, owns
and operates an electric lighting plant,
fixes the price of Illuminating gas at 81
and fuel gas at 50 cents per 1908 feet and
has secured a Scent fare during work.
ing hours In an interesting account of
this progress in municipal socialism, Mayor
Pingree declares that one dreams Of re-
turning to private ownership.
Many Swiss communities have extended
the socialism of the public school and sup
ply school utensils and the means of in
struction free. In the canton of Zurich, of
81, 657 primary and grammar pupils all but
3016 enjoy this privilege: and in The sec
ondary grade 1t is extended to 5,S12 pupils
out of a total of ,395
In 1894 the department Of the interior
paid the Bell Telephone company an aver
age includng salary of woman OPERATOR
Of SIS for each telephone The department
put in system of its own-140 lines con-
Meeting scattered buildings in Washington
In