The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-19
PUBLIC Ownership IS
GROWING IN LIVERPOOL
Street Railway System Of Bri-
tish Commercial Center
Owned by Municipality.
In Spite Of Heavy Price for
Purchase and Other Disad-
vantages it is a Success.

{ Uu C1dSc d11u OG1lcl OAodA-
vantages it is a Success.
Municipal ownership of public
service enterprises is plainly be-
coming a lively issue in American
urban life. and is assuredly to be
made more and more so through
such developments as outside alb
sorption of local electric roads in
Massachusetts, and the aggressions
upon the public interest witnessed
in the New York and Philadelphia
gas scandals, says the Springfield
Republican. The English experience
In public ownership accordingly pre-
sents matter Of growing interest to
our own people. A typical example Is
to be found in the current annual
report Of General Manager r. Bel
lamy of the Liverpool corporation
tramways, covering the results for
the calender year 1904. This Eng
lish city of about 100000 population
took over the operation Of the local
tramways from a private corpora
ton in 1897. They were then run
by horsepower, and the city, after
d
become an antiQuated property, and
reconstruct them largely, for over
head electric traction. Nevertheless,
in spite of heavy initial outlays on
capital account, the municipal tram
ways have been considerable and
increasing source of net profit to the
municipality and of improving re-
suits in street transit.
In 1904 the street railways paid
into the city treasury as net profit
$135,54O, and in 1902, $l25,825,
after paying all costs of operation
and interest on the tramways debt,
carrying a sum to the fund for sink
ing the debt which is calculated to
wipe it out in some thirty or forty
years, and making liberal allowances
for reserve, renewals and deprecia-
tion.
But this is by no means the whole
story. Here in America it is often
urged against the English experience
in municipal trading" that no al
lowance is made for the taxes which
would be paid to the city by private
street railway corporation, for ex-
ample, and which are lost to the ci-
ty under public ownership. But the
fact is that such an allowance is
made. The item of Operating
COSTS includes some, s18,89O, or.
w. -&94 .45l.. for .,taxea4 paid to city,
just as il the system were in private
hands:
The Liverpool tramway system un-
alton since 1897 has increased the
number of passengers carried by
203.7 per cent, the mileage operated
by 1923 per cent, and the gross
receipts by SO per cent. 1t has re-
duced the hours of work for en-
ployes to ten a day, has increased
wages, reduced fares to the basis Of
a penny 1.-TWO cents) for journeys
up to 2 1-3 miles, has established
an employees benefit society, and
provided restaurant and recreation
rooms at the various tramway de-
pots through the city. 1t encourages
a social, athletic and thrift society
among employees, contributes to the
support of band of music, one of
the charges to expenditure last year
being 1870 for musical instru-
ments for employees band," which
consists of forty members, and gives
all employees at least five days of
holiday each year on full pay. Talks
with some Of the employees indicate
that they are we'll satisfied with the
city as an employer. The conduct
of street transportation has been 80
far systematized and provided for
by the general manager that no one,
even in the rush hours of mornin g
and night, is compelled to stand in
the cars, and through the simple
and slightly device of a board in
closure around the wheels, accidents
have been reduced to most gratify-
ing minimum-the record of 1904
showing that of 1913 people who fell
in front of the cars, or were knocked
all were sheered clear of the wheels
and track and only six were fatally
injured.
Thus is it that municipal owner
ship and operation of street rail-
ways in Liverpool has been made to
result In large net profit to the city,
in very cheap transportation for the
general public, in great safety to
life in operation, and in improving
conditions for employees. What an
English city can do, an American
city ought to be able to do and
might do7-if fairly driven to it. 1t
is for the corporations engaged in
monopolistic public service to deter
mine whether the present move
ment over the country for municipal
ownership shall become widespread
and irresistible.
RAILROAD SECRET