The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-19

municipal body to make and provide
good roads. provide for clean and beau
tiful streets. supervise building
schemes. prevent nuisances or condi-
lions injurious to public health. and dis
charge other such duties which are
necessary for the well-being of the
whole community.
The provision of an abundant supply
of pure water, commodity which is
needed by all and is essential to the
the public health, may be regarded as
perfectly legitimate function of the
municipal body.
Municipal ownership of those enter
prises connected with the application Of
the various forms of electricity. cleo
trio lighting, telephone service, electric
power, and electric tramways is general
throughout the United Kingdom.
SOLUTION OF HOUSING PROBLEM
One hears on every hand that the
most effective solution of the housing
problem is the extension of street car
systems.
This is a solution which works as
well in practice as in theory, and the
control thereof. 50 vitality affecting the
good of the community, should be vest
ed in the municipality. The argument
that street railways are monopolies,
and that the municipal body should
have the profits to b. derived from the
monopolies, especially when they are
based upon the use of the public thor
oughfares, more and more prevails
Municipal enterprise pays to the ex-
tent of yielding vast sums in net pronts
for the municipal work of sanitation
and renovation, and in reduced rate
to the consumer Of water, light ana
transit Discussion clarifies thought,
and modern municipal discussion ana
experiments have brought to light
what the functions of a local governing
body are. Charter provision today can
not ignore the public demand for the
new municipalism.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP OF
STREET RAILWAYS A
SUCCESS.
Among municipal experiences in pub
lie ownership there is nothing of great
er practical interest today to city au-
thorities than the experience of Glas-
gov. Toronto. and other cities relating
to municipal ownership of street rail
ways.
In Glasgow it was agreed that the
city should keep control of the streets,
any part of which it was unwilling to
surrender. that it should construct and
own the tram lines. which were leased
to a company for a yearly rental OF
$3.50 per street mile. In the money con-
ditions of the lease. the city's interests
were certainly well looked after.
1t was also provided that uniform
fare should be two cents and morning
and evening cars should be run for
workingmen at a one cent fare Gin
American money!
The total capital investment of the
city was a little more than $1.70o,oOO.
interest charges on which were paid by
the company.
In twenty-five years the sinking fund
provided under the terms of the lease
by the company had reached the sum
of 81, DOC. 900. paying the full cost of the
original system. There remained the
cost of the newer lines, fourteen miles
in extent.
The renewal fund provided for in the
lease had left the system in perfect re-
pair, and the city had received in cash
a sum amounting to $225,OOo.
AS for the company. it had paid off its
premium incubus, had earned good
dividends, and had made due allow
ance for depreciation in it's working
plant Notwithstanding the favorable
conditions and financial advantages
of this lease for the city, the munich
pality demanded at the expiration of
the lease the benefit for the city of all
the profits of the system, and accord
ingly took over the entire supervision
of the railways under its own manager
Toronto, Canada, has had a recent
brilliant experience in municipal own
ership of street railways, which puts
American methods to the blush. The
reduction of over one-half on car fare
is an established gain to the whole
which cannot be despised
or ignored.
1t is twenty-five years since Man
chester. England, began the construc-
ton OF street railways. The municipal
lines were rented to an operating
company. which pays the city more
than 10 per cent on the investment.
Renewals and repairs are made by the
city and charged to the operating COM
pany After sinking funds and interest