The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-22
10 PAGES TODAY.
THE OBSTACLE TO MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.

The Post has on more than occasion declared
its general Endorsement of the doctrine or policy of
municipal ownership The franchises which public
utilities are based belong to the public and are sup.
posed to be used for the public comfort and facili
tatng the public business If money be made out
of their by private corporations the public should
reserve such profit to the people by adopting policy
OF municipal ownership,
But The Post has not failed to insist that before
such municipal ownership be safely tried municipal
governments in this country must be wonderfully i'm.
proved and changed from spois to merit systems
Massachusetts paper the other day advanced the idea
that municipal is largely corrupted by the
big corporations operating the public franchises and
1t argued that municipal ownership might work the
desired reforms. 1t spoke as follows;
One in which to interest the people is give them
Operation pac s e or %vnpS ownsP and
cities now operating these seeking eyade governmental
with the improper methods employed resistance 1t has
2esh ihe IN London Glasgow and the cities which
been displaced by municipal control politics has grown clean
acter OF the government has constantly improved,
This looks plausible its face but it does not go
back to the causes that have rendered such improve
ment possible in the foreign cities named The refer
ence to the Herald in this excerpt is to the Boston
Herald and that leyelheaded paper makes the follow
ing answer:
This suggestion New Bedford contemporary would
DC very hopeful one ii the facts are states them ii
Just 50 soon as the public service companies placed u
der municipal control the evils of civic began TO
grow less pahacea Tor ills would lie Immediately be-
fore us to be seized and utilized quickly possible In
fortunately there is evidence that effects have
worked out the pleasing results indicated the quota
ton which we have On the contrary the various
puhc services that in the last ten fifteen years have
assumed by many European were taken on not he
cause the city governments corrupt inefficient and
u was necessary to reform them but because was found
that the governments of such
that they could be safely trusted with these new duties These
foreign municipal administrations had given proof of their
intention 10 rightly and efficiently before the people
4, he Tho
type Of municipal control had been as we find in our
large American cities may be the people would
never have consented enlarge the
OF civic activity There authority
would make IT read Because thou unfathful in
few things therefore will make master over many
things.
If the American citizen were assured that mInlcipa
ownership would be maintained strictly business
principles, that skill and economy would be utilized
and that the people would be given the full benefit
through cheaper service OF the mddlemans profits; if
there were not the everlasting fear that the multi
plicty OF places to fill would be used to pay political
debts, or reward ward heeler service without refer
cnce to the special fitness of the employee there would
be spontaneous and enthusiastic demand in all our
American cities great and small public ownership
of public utilities
indeed. It is one OF the worst results of our bad
governments that they have deprived us of our own
management of useful public enterprises by creating
this fear that municipal ownership would only mean
more spoils and greater corruption. In time however
we may reach the business and merit stage in munich
pal administration and prohtaby enjoy all our munich
pal opportunities.