New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-22

unes by extorting excessive rates from the publc'
Despite the powerful influences Of private owner
ship interests. tho number OF municipality owned
public service Industries. particularly waterworks
and electric light plants. Is rapidly increasing.
need not elaborate upon the claims OF those
who advocate municipal ownership Of these public
services They claim for the public lower rates
and improved services. reduction in taxes higher
wages to labor used in operating these industries
and the removal OF the most potent source OF 20
Ntical corruption which a community must meet.
On the other hand those opposed 70 municipal
ownership raise objections and claim the adoption
OF thl. principle would result In increasing the ex-
pense Of production because Of the division OF the
business by competition and by inefficient manage
ment. higher taxes. increased corruption in the
politics Of the municipality because Of greater OPP
portuntles and the encouragement Of paternalism.
Socialism and the prevention OF investment Of
private capital. Two gentlemen have recently
issued books upon this question I refer 10 NJ J.
Francisco and Lieutenant Allen Ripley Foote
CORRUPTION OF CITY OFFICIALS.
My experience in municipal affairs has not led me
10 believe that city officials As rule. are as cor
rupt a. Mr. Francisco pictures them. have
learned that II IS not alone the city official who IS
sometimes brbed but more often the so called
Influential citizen" or the venal press. BY gifts
OF money or stock and by free service these IN
fuences are more frequently purchased than are
Aldermanic votes
In taking his position Mr. Foote agrees with
President Knapp Of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and Vice-President Morton Of the Santa
Fe Railroad. These gentlemen advocate that such
Of public service industries as they are Inter
ested in be socalized. that the few may reap
the benefits at the expense Of tho many Is labor
less a service than transportation? | presume
will be unable maintain logical position against
these socialistic theories advanced by Messrs.
Foote Knapp. Depew and others. The adage
learned from our copy book. "Competton is the life
Of trade" is Ike many other idols in this life
shattered
But let M ask how. without competition would
Rockford H. have been able 20 reduce the price
Of arc lamps for street lighting from 1925 per an
mum 20 So per annum. the same company furnish
ing them. had she not been able 70 threaten a com
pettlve plant? or how would Kansas City have
reduced its gas from 81 90 and 81 q to 81 per thou
sand except by giving a franchise 10 a rival com
pany? or how could Des Moines have secured
telephone service at SIS and S24 per annum without
a competing company? Under the Bell monopoly
we paid from S36 to 50 per year and the service
under competition has not deteriorated. on me
contrary It has improved much since the advent OF
the rival company. or how could our city have
induced the General Electric Company 70 tempo
rary accept n reduction IN rates on street light
ing from Nl5 10 SIS per lamp. except through fear
of a municipal plant?
Mr. Francisco says in his book. Wait for per-
fected electrical apparatus which will always oe
subject 10 Improvement. They all say. Wait for
honest city officials and Civil Service reform" and
at the same time they exert every effort 70 elect
officials whom they corrupt and 10 prevent a
reformation Of the civil Service.
Burden develops responsibility. There is re-
serve Of patriotism and capacity Of sefgovern-
ment in citizenship to which We are not afraid
to appeal am not afraid 10 starto money
making voters by producing a situation which will
ala fher In n Ct d political
lance They need 10 he alarmed. Every citizen
would be Interested In securing the greatest efti-
cheney in the public service. and in a very short
time demands would be made by qulckened and
enlightened popular sentiment for the enactment OF
a strict civil Service reform law. SO long as the
corporate interests operate those public utilities
for private gain. just 50 long will have uncom-
promising opposition 20 Civil Service reform and
good city government. Remove first the incentive
70 this opposition which TO my mind. can be ac-
complshed by removing public franchises from the
nuhlic mart. and A new era will dawn. in which
the best citizenship viii be the dominant force in
municipal government.
MR. FOOTE IN REPLY.
A paper on Municipal Ownership" was read
written by Allan Ripley Foote, OF Takoma
Park, Washington, D. c., in which he said in
part:
A public agent works FOR the profit OF the public
all Of the neople-while a private agents eit-
cheney IS determined by his energy in serving the
corporation as honestly he can. az II is the
only way he can serve himself and promote his
own personal interest. The people employer
must determine which Of the two VIII serve the
general welfare to the best advantage. II the cost
OF public management equals the cost plus the