The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-26
MUNICIPAL SPECULATION
The British Parliament to Investi-
gate the Encroachments of Eng
lish Municipalities Into the Do
main of Private Trade.

In little booklet recently published,
entitled "Other Peoples Money" Rob
ert L. Porter tells OF IL movement in
England against municipal ownership,
which rudely skaters the claims OF
the advocates of the movement in the
United States. 1t appears that in
over a hundred instances local au-
thoritics in England have obtained and
are holding provisional orders" grant
ed by parliament for electric lighting,
etc, without doing anything to carry
the powers into effect. Dog-in the
manger-like, these powers have been
taken to keep private and individual
effort out, and the natural result is
to retard enterprise and stop the pro-
gress of the towns. Further, 1t is said
that the English municipalities, not
content with going into the business
of supplying water, light and transpor-
tation, are seeking power TO branch
out into other trades. No less than
seventy municipalities have applied
either 10 parliament or the board OF
trade for power to trade in electrical
fittings, thus coming actually into
competition with private manufacture
ers, and in addition to that a large
number of bills are before parliament
from municipalities seeking 10 become
trading corporations. In one case the
application was to manufacture and
sell paving and paving materials, in
another 70 supply cold storage, in a
third to do a fire insurance business
and in a fourth case to transact a
patent Office business. In AZ these en- E
terr~ rises the wretched ratepayer will
be called upon TO pay whether the
business is successful or not. The
local debt OF England and Wales repre-
sents the enormous sum of 81 ,260, ,000,- =
900, over half Of which represents var
ious trading plants which may or may
not be worth the original capital in
vested therein.
Not only have municipalities obtain
ed provisional orders" in order TO pre-
vent individuals from entering the field
of competition, but they have an or
ganization known as the Municipal
Corporation association, formed to op-
pose all efforts on the part Of private
enterprise to extend the services on
lower the price. This body raises it's
| funds for such extraordinary proceed
ings by rateable levy over the whole
| of the affected towns, so that, although
| ostenslbly preserving Its local charac-
ter, the opposition is centralized. Thus
the North of Scotland and the South
OF 'rra are whipped into line to de-
: 90 a..s. 'es which would be Of inn
mems" value to Lancaster, York and
SOME . trn Midland counties This
powerful olFanization, equipped with
.rarnlI '"ansel and a well-organized
,uuhy u r1rllament is the barrier
Hga.uE. t." initiation OF individual en-
Jrrgl1sy aua the risk Of having TO face
such an position practically debars
| even the 1t,ainpt. The taxpayers and
cuwu'I.Hl bodies of England are up
in arm. against this scheme for the
suppression of fair dealing by the un-
limited enlargement OF the functions
of government, and on April Is, 1900
the English house OF commons, by a
majority Of 141 against 81, voted for
the appointment of a Joint COMMITTEES