The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-07-29
IcIPAL OWNERSHIP IN BOSTON
Experiment Failure, Due Main
Iy TO Political Corruption.

q Experiment n Failure, Due Main
"a Iy TO Political Corruption.
4 Literary Digest.
kdvocates OF municipal ownership who
Vi been looking to Boston for a vindica-
n OF their theories may not be pleased
n the results shown by an investigation
4 has just been made by Mayor Hart.
n predecessor, Mayor Josiah Quincy it
u be remembered, stirred up widespread
9ment about two years ago by estab-
Ing municipal printing plant,
nicipal carpenter and repair depart
~, municipal ice plant and various
~ departments for doing work pre-
Nsly done by private concerns under
8racts. THE city," says Mr.. Guild A.
eland, writing in Harper's Weekly,
- 10 save the money heretofore paid
3niddlemen's or corporations profits
NJ was not to allow greedy contractors
WIRING dishonest profits from the
anicipal treasury. The painful announce
~ that the whole scheme is now dis
.alted and is subject for popular ridi-
e may cause some sorrow among those
'plcipil statesmen elsewhere who have
" SO strongly on the side of municipal
'uershlp' as a theory which might save
lltrican cities from present evils"
aayor T. y. Hart an old Boston busi-
man and banker, upon taking office
s{he hrst OF last January, noticed that
me OF the city's expense bills were
tneF large. and began a quiet investiga-
"a with the result. says Mr., Copeland,
one after another of these much
eeaed city bureaus has been closed up,
s|opelessly extrayagant. Mr. Copeland
zes the following figures from the
Z*meht OF a skilled workman who he. d
place in one of these bureaus"
S&ecKonlng up the cost of material at
9current quotations, and the probabl
Vi iaoor necessary to do the work
~ Inc supervision of any reliable
*F actor or business house in p ,ston,
4%una that job of electrical equipment
ne Terry boats operated by the city
~ nave cost $500. AS a matter Of
;#u, u actually cost $4,000 The cleo
~ "orK on city building for hospital
should have cost S152S. 1t really
"a sf,oi' The work on a city armory
Ia nave cost less than $500. but the
~ nau to pay nearly 5000 for the 100.
III work on a public school, estimated
S&eiE 10 cost Sl471 II done under con-
~ cost the city about $4,000
meanwhile Investigations were he ne
~ IN other directions. The city's ice
ss made an inviting field. Alter the
IA, ,iclsns had finished figuring on that
spirited enterprise, It was found
"A 'He ice used by The water department
tuIInklhg fountains cost about $50 a
3"Hen II light have been bought from
81 Ice companies for 50 or SO a ton.
MI were Immediately given to get rid
~ ice plant at the best possible terms.
III outlay thus created might weaken
IN credit II the plant should be in
.,,] ',oh much longer. II customer
IN nave oeen found for the municipal
IA. pant that too might have been
S az once Some investigations into
safsss' oi the operation of the plant in
)rTu mat outside parties would have
us work az least % per cent below
~ Prices actually charged. and would
~ MY have done much better WORK.
us In one bureau after another,
~. the same situation was found.
IA OF saving money by doing al
~ VI cily work directly by city en-
ff me city has been brought into
a, 'e.lendously; so that today the debt
"a Tour times the limit fixed by the
~ legislature, the excess having been
Ivy under special legislative acts.
Al n,erest on this debt, with sinkn
i pe.;shen's' now amounts to more than
t1 IRE amount annually raised by tax
"a wi all city purposes, outside of the
3 expenditure"
& reason for this breakdown Of the
tsr municipal ownership experiment
& mr. Copeland. lis TO he found in tho
80 the pay rolls OF the differeni
5i,7 were absolutely loaded down witt
"a appointees-" In enc derartme7
S5{ found that one third of the forcf
.e discharged without any harm ia
nu.eney OF the bureau. and 1t is
yea that Mayor Hart has already
some 100000 or $500. 900 TO the city
novais In the interest of economy.
u'erous phase Of the affair appear,
method by which the spoilsner
.ae civil service law, Applications
Aae Tor service under queer trades