The Advocate and news., 1898-07-06
Benefits of Public Ownership. A.,
@. W. BADGER.

40 WAOlG oOllt llNlt dBO lOE BONeEH-
ment ownership Of railways | will now
try to show how II works I'm other util-
tiles that are owned and operated in the
interest of the whole people. We Will take
electric light plants and a few other plants
also. We are as well aware Of the facts
as any A. II. & S. +. official, that the
general managers and superlntendents all
claimed the same, who were operating the
different plants as Mr.. Ripley does, that
they needed men of brains and that was
an article that the masses do not keep in
stock, and could not furnish that COM
modify; that they must get private par
ties and foreign bondhoders to do that.
Now, let us look over the country and
see IL the people cannot run their own
business to their own benefit as well as
the great J ans
Bangor, Me, under private ownership
paid $l5O per lamp per year. under public
ownership Bangor pays $S per lamp.
Lewiston, Me-, under private ownership
paid $l2 per lamp per year; under public
ownership Lewiston pays $55 per year.
Elgin, H., under private ownership paid
$266 per lamp per year; under public own
ership Elgin pays SAB per lamp per year.
Fairfield, Iowa, under private ownership
paid 1913 per lamp per year; under public
ownership, Fairfield paid $40 per lamp per
year.
Marshalltown, Iowa, under private own
ership paid $l25 per lamp per year under
public ownership Marshalltown pays $27
per lamp per year, and in nearly every
lH6ldHCG lIG SGEVlCe Is DGILeF imam the
corporations give, and nowhere was 1t any
worse than they got at the hands Of the
dear corporations
Chicago, ILL.,, under private ownership Of
electric lights paid $3.50 per light; under
public ownership the city pays but $96 per
light per year.
There are now twelve cities in the U. s.
that own their own gas plants, and under
no conditions would they go back to pri-
vate ownership. Although they have to
furnish their own brains and 1t does not
enrich any parasites Of foreign bond
holders.
Goodland, Kas., owns it's own water
works, and the citizens Of the town say
they are receiving better satisfaction than
any city in the union where the works are
owned by private parties.
The Engineering News, Of New York, re-
Gently gave an account Of the electric
light plant at Johnston, VT, a village Of
900 people Here is the statement: The
total outlay for the plant was $500. The
charge for sixteen-candle-power incandes-
cent light is for first light, 81 per year; for
extra lights in same room, 81 per year;
for lights in bed rooms, 81 per year. At
this price, after paying all expenses, in
the village, which owns the plant, has
sixty street lamps Of thirty-candle-power
free, and there was q net profit paid into
the local treasury last year of S431.
From these figures we can arrive at the
cost of lamp. IL the town had the bonds
paid, so no interest account would be nee
essary, and the town paid pro rata for its
lights the actual cost Of furnishing a six
teen-candle-power light would be less than
80 cents per year. Now if the people in
all Of the cities owned their plants of all
kinds they would be saving to themselves,
their children and their children's chill
dren not only good comfortable homes,
also setting the example of self govern
ment and they would be able to dispense
with the bondholders and the $4,000 a year
President.
Here is an extract from the New Time,
by William M. Handy on the street rail-
ways OF New York city in 1896: The gross
receipts were $l5,O00,00O, but the amount
paid the city in taxes and all other ways
was only per cent. Of the amount. The
actual profits represent 20 or 30 per cent.
on the real cost Of construction. When
the consolidation Of the street railway lines
was affected in 1886 the capitalization,
including that Of leased lines represented
by rentals paid, was increased to $51, 600 900,
while the track operated had increased to
only III miles, representing q captaliza-
tlon Of $500 900 per mile Since 1895 the cap
italization has been increased to more than
$65, 600, the amount per mile remaining
the same. Although the average cost OF
constructing line of street railway with
double tracks is but $4,000 per mile, and
$4,000 would be a liberal allowance to cover
all expenses, including rolling stock,
power plant, etc, the company pays hand
some dividends at the rate of 100000 per
mile. Now, every thinking person knows
that II tne people owned the street rail-
roads of New York city that there would
be no high-priced officials and no divi-
dends to pay Oh fictitious values as at
present. And any sensible person, in look
ing over the way the prices have come
down since the cities assumed control Of the
electric light plants, knows that the same
condition would follow on the railroads as
soon as the people began 10 operate them
in the interest Of all Of the people. But I
can assure you, Mr.. Editor, just so long
as the people will take Mr.. RiDley'S or
Chauncey Depew's word for gospel truth
just so long will they have to support
high-priced officials and foreign bond
holders. Now let every one who reads this
look over the reports on the electric light
ing plants and see If he can come to any
other conclusion than they had been sys-
tematically robbed as long as they were
In private hands. And If this government
had one line extending from the Atlantic
to the Pacific and run in the interest of
all OF the neonle there would NOT have To