The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-17
FROM THE PEOPLE
Continued From Page -Four.

tween municipal ownership and private
corporations, few remarks on the sub
1ect might be pertinent. We can Judge
OF the future OF such an issue in this
country only by the past Let us take
the case OF the Philadelphia gas works.
me report Of the mayor of that city on
the profits Of the gas plant is interest
ing According to his figures there was
a pront Of sS30.f99 on the gas sold to prf-
Vate consumers and to this should be
added, he thinks. 1920 more on account
OF the gas used by the city, al the rate
Of s-5o thousand. This makes out the
handsome profit OF sl627, 704 But the
same report shows that the cost of manu-
featuring the gas is only 50 cents a thou
sand, though the mayor charges $50, and
this at once knocks OF s4s6,650 from his
alleged profit. The plant is valued at
s20oeo,r0, and an allowance Of per cent.
interest on this would knock OF 81. 200 go
more. Add In the taxes lost, and the
showing would be one Of actual loss in
stead of magnificent gain. And thus the
public lighting service becomes only a
new political machine" always tending
10 parallel the experience of Philadelphia,
where, as the committee of one hun
dred ascertained, the gas trustees" made
on with 81 500 900 in six years The gas
supplied to the citizens OF Philadelphia
is very bad, and IT is owing to a variety
OF reasons which II Is not in the power
OF the municipal government to mend.
Chief among these reasons is the condi-
ton Of the plant. IL is partly worn out,
wholly out OF date and radically inefh-
Gent. over large part of the city the
service pipes are too small for the work
required OF them. and to a great extent
they are so rotten that a very consider
able portion OF the gas which they con-
vey Is lost through leakage. To replace
these pipes and to construct a new plant.
NIar 10. AZ 81
larged community. and provided with the
modern appliances of manufacturing and
distribution. would require an Immediate
expenditure OF not less than sS,clO,W0
This money the city does not possess as
applicable for this purpose and has no
means OF obtaining 1t. This Is one argu-
ment in favor OF the lease, and 1t IL an
unanswerable one.
The example Of Glasgow ia. OF course.
cited where the municipal ownership of
the street railroads has been established.
We should have further evidence OF that
experiment before being called upon to
decide finally as TO its merits. There
are unpfFtudiced persons who, having Wis
tied Glasgow since the establishment or
the experiment. report that the street
car service Is far behind the mediocre
In our American cities In cleanliness,
attractiveness and speed and in the dis
tances for which persons can ride on
single fare. And the people of Glasgow
have been experimenting along these
lines for years. their public officers are
not enianeied with partisan politics as
most of ours are. and by long terms OF
service they have acquired an excep-
tional ability. Must there not be radi-
cal change in the whole form and system
and aim OF American municipal gov
eminent before we can undertake such
experiments as that with any hope OF
success2
II also appears from statistics OF the
department of labor at Washington that
In a long list OF American cities the cost
of public work Is much higher than that
OF private work OF the same kind. Is 1t
not 20 be feared that the running OF our
street cars by such gentlemen as Mayor
Jones. Of Toledo, for instance. would re-
suit in far greater dissatisfaction than
now ex.stsP A. LEVINO.