The Irish standard., 1900-12-08
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP,
Success Has Attended 1t In the Old
World


associated from criticism, which is the
high road to misunderstanding and
from comparisons, which are provcrb-
bially odious, says Lord Mayor Tai
Ion, of Dublin. My visit here has been
all too brief. and my examination of
the local government in several cities
1 have visited necessarily superficial
To a large extent what have to say
Is merely Il reflection of what has been
told me by men who have had ample
opportunity to study the problems pre-
sented at closer range. The responsi-
bilities of city government has always
been a subject of intense interest to
me, and it was with infinite pleasure
that [ availcd myself of the oppor-
tunity to compare notes with men as
keenly interested in it's development
ON this side of the Atlantic ocean as l
am on the other side, in splendid
city of which. for the time being, l
have the privilege of being executive.
I suggest nothing by way of imita-
ton. You must deal with the situation
as it presents itself here in your own
way. But surely no harm can come,
and no hard feelings be engendered
by Il simple statement of facts as they
present themselves in our cities ut
home, and the drift of things as have
observed them here.
In the first place it is necessary to
understand that we are very much far
ther advanced in what is called state
socialism" than you are here. Munici-
pal ownership, or as We term it, cor
pOratiOn control. is no longer an ex-
pertinent with us. True, we want
more of it, but what we have is good
We have found that it is not only eX-
pedient for a city government to con-
troll its water supply, but it's gas, clec-
trio lights and tramways us We'll. We
have proven beyond all argument that
municipal ownership of such necessi-
ties gives us better service. greatly re-
duccd prices to the consumers ana re-
duced taxes; thar it prevents corrul,-
ton and is conducive in every way
to a better and more satisfactory GOV
ernmcnt.
Furthermore, we have found that
municipalities can undertake such
responsibilities without confusion, ana
can run them mt Il profit. The Initial
outlay is not a charge upon the gen
ersll revenue of the city. and should
not be claSSed as Il debt. 1t is the
common experience with water works
owned by the municipality that they
earn sufficient return to pay good III
tereSt OH their Investment and to ere
ate sinking fund to retire the bonds
as they fall due. 1t is truly said by
Comptroller COler. of New York city.
that can obligation on which neither
principal nor interest is to be paid
from the proceeds of taxation is not
properly charge against the credit or
borrowing capacity of the corpora
ton"
And why is not Il municipality just
rs competent to handle other great
public necessities, light and transpor-
tatiOn, for instance. as it is water?
There need be no more confusion
about it than there is in the daily de-
livery of your mails. In my opinion
it is just these necessities of a special
character that the municipalities
should seek to control. do not think
that the majority Of your people. as
yet understand precisely what Is
meant by municipal control of the
necessaries of life. | trust may he
pardOned for saying that you have yet
much to learn in that respect from the
parent country. Our innovations and
changes have, of late years, been far
bOlder than yours. 1t seems TO me
that you lack logical system of
municipal government: that you lnlve
no definite municipal ideals. You
have unlimited ambition, super
abundance of energy. and irresistible
restlessness. Concentrate all this on
one fixed idea, and it seems to me you
will sooner get what | am convinced
the great majority of your public-spir-
itcd citizens desire
10 Il stranger from across the seas
the figures of your municipal taxation
are simply appalling. l find Philadcl-
phia no exception to the rule, although
you seem to have applied the idea of
Capitalization in municipal affairs here
more than in other cities l have vis-
tied. Your water supply appears to
be giving you Il vast amount of trou-
bic. Politics seem to be largely re-
sponsible for all the difficulties that
have been mentioned to me. We had
some trouble in Dublin ut one time,
but the people took hold of the mat
ter and we have now one of the best
and purest water supplies in the
world. brought from hills fifty miles
from the city. The rates Of taxes are
merely nominal
At the root Of all the objections 1
have heard against municipal owner