Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-11-27
LIMIT TO THE BENEFIT NUM-
cIPAL OWNERSHIP.

or the various reforms suggested for
improvement of conditions in Ameri-
can cities, none assumes greater promi-
nence at the present time than .muni-
cipal ownership" AS outlined by the
enthusiasts and more than half believ-
ed by the people who stop to note the
greed of corporations, the acme of
municipal blessedness will he reached
when the cities own their street light
ing system, street railways and various
other enterprises in which the taxpay
ers are directly interested. Cities of
Great Britain where municipal owner
ship, under the name of municipal
trading, has been extensively develop
ed, are held up as beacon lights mark
ing Ravens of taxpayers's Paradise, as
compared with corporation bound cit
les of our own country.
The current number OF Public Opin-
ion publishes extracts from an article,
by Robert p. Porter for the New York
Times. in which it is pointed out that
there is limit to the benefits Of NUM-
cipal ownership and the cities Of Great
Britain are going beyond the limit. In
dividual effort in England is character
lied as stifled by municipal Interior
ence, "and unless a vigorous opposition
is organized against these encroach-
ments Of the municipality, the national
consciousness will be stiAed in the
coils of the boa constructor bureau
crazy as effectually as 1t has been in
Germany. The facts in relation to this
important movement against NUM-
cipal trading) which only crystallized
few months ago, will come as a sur
prise to those in the United States who
have accepted without question the
conclusion of enthusiastic writer's or
half-baked economists In relation to
the achievements of municipal trading
in England"
Increase of local Indebtedness and
consequent taxation is said by Porter
to be the immediate cause for alarm
and dissatisfaction among the taxpay-
ers. From 1878 to 1897 the local debt
of England and Wales more than doub-
led and now stands at 1926, 200, 900.
More than half of this represents en-
terprises owned by the municipalities,
which may or may not be worth the
nriu no initial ipyostad L,la,trioa
experts state that If English authori-
ties are to keep pace with the industry
they must spend s500,000,O00 where
they have now spent s5,000,000. Fur
thermore. in no less than io4 cases
provisional orders" have been grant
ed the municipalities for electric light
ing and nothing has been done. The
city pushes private industry aside but
does nothing itself.
Another result of municipal owner
ship is the association of tho munich
palities to prevent individuals from en-
tering the field Of competition. Thus
the municipal town clerk, his contrac-
tors and friends have complete mo.
nopoly. They stand as blockade tC
progress. Manchester and Glasgow
not content to manage their own tram
ways seek to reach out to adjoining
districts These cities give no guar,
antee that the additional tramways will
be constructed, but contend that non,
shall be constructed of which Man
chester and Glasgow do not approve.
No less than seventy municipalities
are applying to either parliament o.
the board Of trade for the right t
manufacture electrical fittings, thu
coming into direct competition will
private enterprise. The taxpayer ha
to pay the bills whether the business 4
a success or not The city employee
like 1t, but 1t is death to the outsid
laborer. Nor is corruption lacking
Candidates bid for Office by promising
to pay higher wages to the thousand
of city employees who have a powerful
vote.
The results of municipal ownership
as set forth by Mr.. Porter show tina
the city can go as far In the abuse o
power to the detriment of the people
as can the soulless corporation.