The San Francisco call., 1903-12-02
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP UTOPIA.

n the year 1893 the city OF Boston entered upon
large number of ventures public ownership. real
or supposed public utilities. Under Mayor josiah
Quincy the city decided do business with contract
ors but establish its shops and do all OF its own
work by its own employees The plan was very aluring
# was TO be put in operation under strict civil service
rules and Mayor Quincy honest and enthusiastic
man and reformer Whatever he said indorsed and
adopted
The city, at the cost of the taxpayers, established
municipal printing office, carpentry bureau, bureau OF
electrical construction and repair veterinary bureau to
look after the health of the ctys horses and wheel
wrghts blacksmths plumbers painters and etterers in
large numbers became city employees and took their
place on the public payroll There also established
municipal ice plant supply ice for the public Offices
drinking fountains. and ultimately to supply the peo-
pie at with ice during the hot months When the
whole scheme put in operation Boston fectated her
self that she independent of the contractors and
business men and able to live entirely within herself
The system was maintained for two yearsa Then Mr..
Quincy left the Mayors Office and succeeded by an
old business man. Mr.. Hart who soon called on to
sign vouchers for city work He examined them, bust
fashion, and then began look into the matter of
cost He found job of electrical equipment the
ferryboats belonging the city, which contractor Of
fered to do for $68oo done by the city bureau
$1,000 The electrical work the building for hospi
nurses, worth $I528 cost $4754 Similar work the
city armory worth S26oo $67oo and the public
school buildings work worth SI47I cost $1,000. These
small finds set Mayor Hart hunting among the books,
vouchers and He found that the ice turned
by the city plant costing 500 ton, while the
ket price was 81 When the investigation fin
shed found that in the water department and the
other business bureaus of the city the waste SO
enormous that the city debt had expanded four
times the limit allowed by the law, and that this had been
effected by special of the Legislature from time
time permitting the city bonds meet the de-
6o;+e n
The payrolls were loaded down with employees, and
these in exerted thr political influence upon the
City Council to continue ping the burden. 1t was
found that this mixture of business and politics had made
it mpossible.to efficiency. An employe in the
public printing office discharged for ncompetency.
He refused accept the discharge and returned day
saying the superintendent Alderman Blank of South
Boston says I'm go back work. and if you make any
kick about it I'm TO have your place and you CO. see
And back he went. Under the civil service rules in
any speciality could be called for and employed by
competitive examination, and then be assigned to
thing else than the work in which they examined.
So it found that there employed clerical
work inspection of pipes and hydrants in the water
department who got into the service coppersmths
ship calkers, expert swimmer" sailors dial
makers rubber gasket makers riggers, splcers
cutters, miners beam tenders, wire and rod
Each had been called by special requson for his class
of work, though expert swimming" was re-
1t found by Mayor Hart that one-third of the
city employees could be spared without hurting the
vice, Ind they discharged 1t appeared that
By putting end this sumptuous system of running
public utilities and charging deficits off to the taxpayers
Boston was saved 100000. The cost of everything
touched handled and produced had exceeded the open
price by from rs to several thousand per cent.
Yet it admitted by Mayor Hart that the admins
tration of these utilities had been crminally
ruht The forms of law had been respected and Mayor
Quincy was an honest man. The trouble was that gov
had gone into business, with the usual result
of ineciency extravaganza and The lesson was
lost Boston, and she has convaesced entirely
her fever for public ownership of public utilities
The lesson should not be lost upon other cities
which free Of such mistakes, and are
liberty to avoid them if they will If the muni-
cpa ice plant of Boston had been compelled run on
its own income. does any believe that cost of its
ice to the taxpayers would have been 500 ton? If the
system supported by the ratepayers alone and
payrolls public does any one
believe that would have had its payroll crowded with
sailors, expert swimmers. dial makers and splicerss
Without denying, as it is not necessary to our pur-
pose that public utilities may be in public owner
ship affirm that all experience demands that util-
iy be supported solely and only by the income derived
from those who it. Boston has lost Utopia but is
saving money by it.
The unwisdom of dealing in public affairs
sometimes passes understanding Disgracng the name of
his tradesmen for cunning burglar operated in Oakland
the other day and was killed Why did he not remain in
San Francisco and thrive? This is of the problems