The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-05

Weighing scales, cranes, various yards
and offices. and the supply of water for
ships--all belong to the city and con-
tribute to its revenues. And 1t would
have had a municipal telephone sys-
tenn IL the permission II has more than
once requested had been granted.
In the model lodging houses every
lodger has a separate apartment, the
use of larger sitting room, a locker
for provisions and the use of long
range for cooking his own food. The
charge is Z to Q cents day, and in the
women's lodgings cents. These mu-
nicipal lodging houses have led to a
great improvement in the private lodg-
ing houses. Private parties have
opened improved establishments on the
plan of the public houses, with the
same prices, and the same strict rules
as to order and cleanliness. Many of
the smallest and worst of the private
houses have disappeared entirely.
In the public baths the charge for a
swim. as long as you like, Is 4 cents
II tickets for S6 cents-boys and girls
under 10, cents. and 10 tickets for Is
cents. Special reduced rates obtain for
schools, classes and associations of
young people. Clubs can get the ex-
elusive use of the pond for one nigh,
weekly between . and 10 for $1.60
which admits forty members, and a
charge Of two cents for each person
beyond forty. Women's clubs So cents
for twenty-four members and cents
for each additional person. Private hot
baths, 6 to IL cents.
Hardly less useful in the cause OF
cleanliness are the public laundries
For cents an hour woman may have
the use of a stall containing an i'm
proved boiling arrangement and
fixed tubs with hot and cold water
faucets. The washing being quickly
dore, the clothes are deposited for two
or three minutes in a row of centri.
fugal machine drivers, after which
they are hung on one of series OF
sliding frames which retreat into hot
air apartment. IL she wishes, the
housewife may then use large roller.
mangle, operated. like all the rest OF
the machinery, by steam power; and
she may at the end of the hour &c
home with her basket OF clothes
washed, dried and ironed.
Nor is this all. In 1894 Glasgow be.
came the owner and manager of its
street car lines, with these results:
/. The hours of labor were voluntarily re
| duccd from l2 aud II to 10 per day; wage
were raised shillings pcr week, and two uni
| forms year were supplied to each man free.
2. Fares we're reduced at once about So pc
| ccnt-the average fare is below Q cents. and owe
80 per cent of the fares are cent each
| voluntary movement. For short distances tn
fare is one cent and night and morning working
| people go long routes FOR cent For tn
year ending Nav 81, 1898, the average of al
fares was l.7s cents; few years ago before tn
| city took the lines the private tramway com
pany collected an average Of 3s4 cents per pas
| seneer.
| 3. The service was improved.
| 4. The traffic was greatly enlarged, doubled Il
| about two years. by low fares good service an
| the increase OF interest naturally felt by tn
people in business Of their own.
| o. Larger traffic and the economies OF publ
| ownership have reduced the operating cost pc
| passenger to 1.32 cents, and the total cost, in
| cludng interest. taxes and depreciation is 1.5
| cents per passenger. When the private compan
was collecting 3.s4 cents per passenger it dc
| clared that only IA Of cent was profit. No,
| the city collects LIS cents and still there
| about quarter OF cent clear profit, and thi
| is with horse power, which makes the cost pc
car mile at least 90 cents more than with elec.ri
| traction.
6. The profits Of the business 60 to the publ,
| treasury, not into the pockets OF a few stock
holders. For the year ending May 81, 1s9s. i
spite of the extremely low fares there was a clea
| profit Of Sls9,070 above operating expenses an
all fixed charges, interest, taxes, depreciatio
and payments to the sinking fund. In roun
numbers the profits above operating expense
alone were 100000.
This showing Is very fascinating
but its applicability to the cityo
Scranton at the present juncture ma,
we'll be questioned. Until our peopl
are ready to elect and sustain me,
of honesty and common sense 70
municipal office the experiment G
adding to the functions of the munici
pal government would be attende
with unmistakable hazard. A cit
which cannot manage with approx
mate efficiency what il already owns
Is not in shape to consider an increas
of responsibilities.