Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-08
TO BUY RAILWAYS
At ACTUAL VALUE
JUDGE DUNNE SCALES DOWN
FANCY PRICES
chleaeos Mayor.EIect Tells the New
Workers Of Successful Ownership
and Management Of clty's
Valuable Utilities
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press
NEW YORK, April Fresh from
his triumph in the recent municipal
election. Edward E. Dunno. mayor
elect of Chicago, tonight addressed n
large meeting in Cooper Union under
the auspices OF the Municipal owner
ship league of New York city.
He told how he expected to carry out
his pledges made in his recent cam
paign in Chicago to attain municipal
ownership, of the benefits, as he con-
ceived them of the city control of pub
lie utilities, and closed with congratu-
lations to the local league on being
pioneers in the movement in New York.
His speech was enthusiastically re-
ceived.
Recent agitation in New York for
Judge DUNES utterances. James Gra-
ham Phelps. Stokes, vice president of
the league presided. Judge Dunno said
in part
Municipal Ownership Success
Men of the east: We bring you It'd
ings of great joy from the men of the
west. The exploitation of public prop
erty by private capital, with its atten-
dant greed, extortion and corruption,
has had its day in American cities but
that day is about to end.
her mission of dislodging private capi-
tai from the control of our street car
system. She has succeeded in the oper-
alton of her water works system, IN
paying some $SS,OOO,OOO for it's equip
ment; has lent $5,OO0,0O0 from that dc.
partment to the sewer system; is today
giving the cheapest water of probably
any city in America and has a cash
surplus of nearly $1,0O0,00O.
Chicago has so managed her cleo
trio light plant that she has reduced
the cost of arc lamps from $125 to abou.
$54 for arc lamps per annum.
Public Is Well Served
"She is operating both departments
as well as her police, fire and educa-
tional departments without scandal,
graft or corruption, beside cheapening
the cost of utilities furnished to the
public. She will have the same record
of success in relation to her street car
system.
THE citizens of Chicago have been
educated up to the fact that a munich
pality can operate any of the public
utilities with much greater satisfaction
to the people than can the same utilities
be operated by private capitalists.
"They have learned wherever a city
in any portion of the civilized world
has taken over the possession of its
water works, gas, electric light plant
or street railway system that in every
case when fairly tried the cost of this
utility to the public has been reduced, |
the wages of the men who operate them
increased. the day reduced and more
efficient service rendered.
Depends on Civil Service
1.-The only two serious objections
raised during the recent struggle in
Chicago against public ownership of
the public utilities are:
First, that it would tend to build up
a great political machine. A civil SER
vice law will be enacted under which
all applicants for position, irrespective
of politics, will be treated exactly allie
and under which just and reasonable |
tests will be applied to public servants
to ascertain their fitness TO perform
the work entailed upon them. We have
such law in the city of Chicago, under
which for several years past it has
been almost impossible for any man 10
place a friend upon the police, fire o.
water department.
THE only other serious objection
urged in. Chicago was that the munici- !
pality had no money. There is no force !
whatever in the objection.
Money Easily Raised
I'VE propose to raise all the money
necessary to purchase an up-to-datc
street car system upon certificates
which are special or limited promises
to pay out of the income collected from
the system.
II congratulate the Municipal own
ership association of New York and
the men who now surround me upon
this stage, and in this audience, upon
being pioneers in this movement in the
city of New York and l hope that os
great success will attend your eff
forts as have attended the efforts of
the people of Chicago"
Judge Dunno quoted Judge Gross.
cups estimate of the actual value of
the Chicago Street railways as $27, ,OOO,-
900, although capitalized at $1OSO 900
to $177OOO,OOO.