Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-21
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.

The municipal ownership experiment
IN Boston does not seem TO have given
satisfaction, II the statement Of It's
critics are TO be relied on. a contribu-
tor 20 Harpers Weekly deals with this
subject. When Mayor quincy went into
office. ne acted on the principle that
municipal work should be done by the
employees Of the municipality. SO he
added several departments to those In
regular operation. a city bureau was
10 turn out Bostons municipal station
cry and printing work, and another
bureau was established for carpenter
work. repair work Of various kinds on
public buildings, and even for electrical
construction and repair An ice plant
was established for cutting ana stor-
ing ice to be used in the drinking foun-
tains. Veterinary bureaus were de-
vlsed TO look after the horses used In
city work Wheelwrlghts, blacksmiths
painters and letterers, and a whole
army OF labor came into the clty's en-
ploy. Far and near the fact was COM
mented on, that Socialism had been en-
throned in one OF the intellectual
strongholds Of this vast Republic
When Mayor Hart succeeded Mayor
Quincy, the new official was struck by
the prices paid for some Of the work
done for the city. An investigation was
commenced, As a result, il is claimed,
It was found that a Job Of electrical
equipment on the ferrybosts operated
by the city and which. according 10 cur
rent rates should have cost $500, actu-
ally cost $1,000. The electrical work on
city building Tor hospital nurses
should have cost S,52S 1t really cost
}i75i The work on a city armory
should have cost less than $500, but the
city had to pay nearly 5000 for the
Job. Some work on a public school,
estimated as likely TO cost S1,47l, II done
under contract, cost the city about So
600. The ice used by the water de-
partment IN the drinking fountains cost
500 a ton, when It might have been
bolght from the local Ice companies for
s. or 50 a ton.
Il is not charged that any embezzle-
ment has taken place; nor that there
was any dishonesty displayed, only
wastcful extravaganza and gross mis-
management, and the outcome is an
enormous increase IN the indebtedness
of the city, and much dissatisfaction
with the system that made the waste
OF money possible
The trouble in Boston, as In other
places. where the municipal ownership
experiment has been tried Is, that for
political considerations the payrolis Of
the oly were loaded down with APP
pn,ants for Jobs Whenever an alder
man had O friend 20 recommend for a
position. the request was generally
granted by the heads Of bureaus, as
otherwise the alderman threatened 20
cut down the appropriation and cripple
the bureau financially. This Is as
signed as the reason for the extrava-
gauce displayed
The conclusion is inevitable that mu-
nicipal ownership Of public utilities
must be a failure until some radical
reforms IN the political management
have taken place There Is. Of course.
no reason why a servant Of the COM
munity should not be able 10 turn out
% piece OF work as economically rs a
private manufacturer. but II he Is or
1ered to multiply his hands and to pay
them fancy prices Tor the sake Of keep
ing their votes. the very purpose for
which he is employed is defeated, II
the Boston experiment has done nothing
more than demonstrated this fact, IL is
not IN vain. The question is one under
discussion In many placey, and any
light shed upon IL should be welcome