Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-03-14
DISCUSSED
Municipal Ownership
At Economic League
Meeting Last Night.
Rev. F. C. Haddock
Opened Discussion
With an Interesting IdeaIistic
Address.
Thinks Municipal Regulation Better
Than Ownership.


Economic League Tuesday night was
better than usual, there being an au-
dience of 30 members present.
II was announced that DR.. Long.
street, of Cincinnati the celebrated
"single.tax" orator, would deliver d
lecture before the League next Tues
day evening at G. A. r. hall. The fol
lowing committee was named TO look
after arrangements for the lecture: s
G.. Rogers, Hon. y. d. Tibbals, r. G.
Reynolds, Prof. ]. Il. Mexican nd DR.
o. y. Childs.
The committee appointed to report
on the legality of admitting associate
members into the League, such mem
bers to pay III for a membership Ger
titicate was reported with favor by
the committee. Members Of the com
mittee were: y. Chalker. Jonathan
Taylor and a. T. Kingsbury. The re
port was rccommitted to the commit
tee, with Instructions to prepare by.
laws providing for the admission of
associate members.
Rev. c, l.. Keller, president Of the
League, stated that he could not at.
tend the League meetings regularly
during the next few weeks, and that
Judge Charles II. Grant would act as
chairman.
The regular program OF the evening
was the discussion Of the subject, "AIu.
nlcipal Ownership the opening ad-
dress being made by Rev. +. G. Had
dock, pastor of the First NJ. Z. chucb,
who spoke on the subject from an ideal
standpoint.
In part, Rev. Mr.. Haddock said
1T is well to discriminate in our con-
sideration Of this subject. between i'm
mediate ownership in existing condl-
tions, and ultimate. ownership, under
Ideal conditions, for which we all hope.
Il entered the investigation of this
subject with prcconceptlons for munic.
ipal ownership. ] began soon to hes,i,
tate In that opinion. am now In grave
doubts as to whether municipal owner.
ship In general is Immediately desira
bic.
There are two kinds OF business:
Competitive and monopolistic. In com.
petitlve business, individuals seek To
acquire patronage In three ways
First, by excellence OF service; sec,
ond, by quality Of goods or conven,
iencc; third, by price of goods or con,
veniencc at competitive pront, inl.
mediate or remote,
Competition Is not war Industrial
war ignores the three clements men.
toned, with ono exception: Price
rules, service, qaulity and Immediate
profit are or may oc ignored The
hope of war Is an ultimate increase of
prpht, That is the exception.
80. Monopolles, There are three
kinds; Artificial, natural, compctltlvc
Artificial monopolies may be illus,
trated by patents, copyrights, those
created by special legislation, as by
tariff ETC., and, by connection with
natural monopolics, such az baggage
transfer, express and oil companies.
Natural monopolies Gas Comnan
les, street car lines, highways and
streets, electric lights, railways, canals
bridges, harbors, ferries, docks, light
houses, natural navigation, postal ser
vice, telegraphs, telephones.
The argument for municipal owner
ship, II It Is intelligent proceeds upon
single broad principle: Natura
monopoly Is the field OF public enter
prises; competitive business Is the field
OF private enterprise.
I'm all arguments that | have seer
this principle steals it's way in. But
as matter of fact, that is the thins
10 be demonstrated l am not at al
sure about that,
These arguments are OF two kinds
Theoretical and experimental. Th,
theoretical must, as the matter now
stands, deal with principles; the exper
imental rguments are sporadic, and, S,
far as ! can see, not at all determine
tive.
THE theoretical argument is deduce,
from the above definitions OF busines
with another added-especially o
natural monopolies and competition.
The three ways In which buslnes
II secured in competition. excellence