Arizona republican., 1899-01-20
A FOREIGN EXAMPLE.

While it is unfortunate that many
 taxpayers of this city sand opposed to
 the plan to tond the city for the es-
 tablishment of sanitary sewerage and IadeCuste water works it dces not fol-
 low that the friends of the movement
 should be discouraged. They should
 exert themselves to win; if they fail at
 the coming election then they should
 lay plans for future campaign. Phoe-
 nix is not alone in possessing a large
 number of unprcgressive taxpayers.
 They abound in every town. Look at
 Kansas City! There is a town that for
 years was unable to make necessary
 municipal improvements because Of the old fogy element in it's population that resisted every enort to introduce mod ern methods and equipment. As the town grew the anti-progress people found their hold relaxing. They have finally been forced to the wall and the
 city owns it's own water works, has a
 magnificent park system under way
 and sets a glorious example in progress to towns twice it's size. The experi- ence of Kansas City will be repeated
 on a smaller scale by the city of PhCe-
 nix. The obstacles set up by the tax payers who are content to let matters
 take Gheir course will be swept away sooner or later.
 The existing local situation makes interesting the application in England of some unique ideas in municipal gov ernment. Net content with public ownership of street car, gas, electric, water and telephone services, various municipalities run hotels, operate fine public baths and even erect tenements fo- workingmen. It must be said for these enterprises that they are gener- ally successful. Another view of for eign municipal progress is afforded in the experiment begun last year by the parish Of lShoreditch, a part of London. Pricr to 1897 that parish had paid ESQ., 900 a year to have it's street refuse swept up, carted to the Thames, put aboard a garbage boat and dumped in.o the sea. The idea then occurred to it to utilize this waste Accordingly S60.- 900 was invested in parish electric plant. This plant has been running for a year and results are now accessible. | The street refuse supplied all the fuel l necessary to run it except $432 worth i of coal. The total expenditure for the | first year was $19,070 for wages, stores, supplies, insurance, repairs and | ether purposes. The interest, sinking | fund, rents, and the ordinary allowance i for the depreciation Of the property | were $10,205, making total of $29, ,275. ! The gross receipts for the sale of light md power, including a credit equal to he average previous charge for street fighting by gas, were $45, ,205, thus leav- ng net profit of $15, ,930 for the benefit | )f the parish treasury, which will be lsed in enlarging the plant. Arrange nents are now being made to use the steam to heat the water oi public bath, instead of allowing it Jo |. 90 to waste. In ada4tion a free system of garbage collection among private :. 'esidences has been instituted, a ser f: 7ice hitherto charged for.
 Two facts are made very conspicu- 'us by the consideration of such ex- lmples as these: One, that American ,ities are as a rule very carelessly gov 9rned and thoughtlessly allowed to rift along in old ruts while the people Ire heavily taxed without necessity for iuch a state of affairs; the other, that ;cmehcw EngIishmen have learned to IS Lpply to city affairs the same interest ( nd economies that are bestowed upon private business. It is a question how ong American pride and ambition will s9 oontent with seeing our towns lag ( 10 far behind the methods and results n the cities Of the old world.