New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-19
CITY OWNERSHIP PLANK.
TAMMANY PLEDGE EASY.
ORGANIZATIONS Record on. the Sub
iect Suggests Inconsistency.

Tammany is going the limit In its city plat
form with reference to municipal ownership.
With four years in which to carry out promises
Charles F. Murphy and his advisers are OF the
opinion that if the anti-Tammany people can
afford to write municipal ownership into their
platform Tammany can go them one better II
is generally conceded that Tammany has the ad-
vantage when it comes to framing platforms 1t
can Guido any rival in making promises. Its
record is succession of broken promises, ana
there is no reason to believe that this year Will
be different from other years.
Four years ago. when the sins Of the Van
.Wyck administration made 1t practically GER
tain that Van Wyck and Croker would be re-
tired, the Tammany city convention platform
contained the following plank:
PUBLIC FRANCHIsES,-We believe the time
ership from the sphere of academic discussion 70
that of practical application We commit the
ership Of ali Of water supply Of its docks
and wharves along the city water front IN an an
the law and present contracts viii per
the Citvl and particuariy to the county OF Rich
mond; and in regard to the new bridges In me
ns that al ey shall be ned and managed By
city and placed at the disposal of the railroad anG
them a right of way for adequate compensation
In hoWeveT these ar IN the early
future apply the principle Of r9unic'paI owner
T re ih1 fully The difncHes financial and other,
wise thnt lie in the way of complies appCceton
Of the proposition that al p5oPe9 h5R Itself
holds the doctrine that the best interests ot cs
corcmurity 10 BIS promoted by STEADY advances
along the lines here Indicated
TWO vears ago Charles F. Murphy made
hard and fast alliance with the lighting COM
bine which financed the Mcclellan campaign
and he was less anxious about municipal owner
sic indicated
would return to power, and there was little neeo
of saving much in the city convention platform
about municipal ownership When the PLANK
finally emerged from the committee room 1T was
as follows:
Wa believe in such municipal ownership Of PUBLIC
utilities as the financial condition Of the city snail
permit it to assume.
AS evidence that the Mcclellan administration
was not anxious to antagontze Its frlenus' ono
of the first important things that Mayor NC
Clellan did was to sign the East River Gas bill,
which would have validated a lot Of douotfui
franchises and given the company perpetual
monopoly. That calamity was averted by Gov
ernor Odell's veto. -. 800
The gas issue became so formidable last yeaE
that Mayor Mcclellan and his associates IN the
Board of Estimate and Apportlonineht We're
compelled to take action looking TO the OulidlHS
of a city lighting plant for the c1tys own use:
President Halpin and his conferrees are VIII
forming TO go further than this. Inc anu
Tammanv platform probably will declare for
the public ownership and operation or hghung
franchises. thus eventually insur1ng gas 10 the
private consumer at about half the present cost
Fearful that this kind of an issue Will defeat
the Tammany ticket. the Murphy men are plan
ming to come out strong for municipal owner
ship-untii after election. linen, II McCleldh
is re elected, doubtless Mr.. Murphy ana ms
friends and relatives in the New-York Contract
ing and Trucking Company will decide t1at after
ali II is hardly in the public interest to try eX-
periments, and platform promises VIII be ls-
nored as they usually are by Tammany Hall.