The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-13
CHICAG0'S IDEALS
 ARE THREATENED
DALRYMPLE ALARMS ADVOCATES
 or MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
Declares Plans Will Fall Unless There is Entire Freedom from Corruption. Glasgovv Tramway Manager, However,, Surprised and Dis
 appointed at Conditions
 Existing Here.

Chicago Special to New York Herald. There Is a growing belief in Chicago that when Mir. James palrympIe, gen. eran manager of the Glasgow tram
 ways. makes hts full report to Mayor
 Dunne on. the practicability of the mu-
 nicipaiization of the Chicago traction | systems some of the props will be
 knocked from under the faith of the advocates of municipal ownership and operation in American cities. Mir. Dalrymple is particularly careful to avoid giving any forecast of what
 his report is likely to be. but in his painting of the conditions considered
 ideal for the success of municipal op- eration he has put Encouragement. !n the hearts of many of the warmest friends of the municipal ownership system.
 It is matter of common gossip that
 the private corporations controlling the traction lines of Chicago are unexpect- | edly pleased with the result of the visit
 of Mir. Dalrymple to this city. some l of the street railway magnates Npress the hope that MT. Dalrymple will stay longer. believing that the more he sees | of political influences and other fea-
 lures distinguishing street railway af- | fairs in Chicago from those in Glas- gow the less inclined he will Le to make a favorable report to Mayor | Dunne.
 MT Dalrympie is plainly surprised and disappointed at the extent to which politics is involved in the administra- tion of municipal affairs in this coun- | try.
 Do you mean to tell me that politics | is an influence in the conduct of all the public utilities in this country ne , asked one of his official escorts. That is about the size of 1t" was the answer.
 MT. Dalrymple gave expression to characteristic grunt that had as much comment in it as a column of talk, and then he asked:
 Would Hire Best Men. ''Why don't you hire tho best man you can get and let him run this or
 that department without political in- Iterference?
 His escort made no attempt to an- | swer. There was an American grunt to match that from Glasgow. To the pnblic Mr. Dalrymple has not | in words said what he thinks of Chi- cago's chances of carrying out the will of the people as expressed at the last
 municipal election, except by indirec- tion.
 Speaking of the necessary conditions in the abstract, he said:
 For the succ sssful operation Of a municipal street car system the de- partment must be divorced absolutely | from politics Thers must be no sucn thing as pull In Glasgow q recom-
 mendation from c. ':oul "lman has no more effect than recommendation | from an ordinary private citizen. There an employe must take strict examination and stand on his merits. We do not have labor unions, and | men do not get higher wages simply because they are in the employ of the city. Municipal ownership will not be
 success unless there is freedom from corruption"
 It Is these declarations by Mir. Dal- rymple, iterated to the point of mo- notony, that have discouraged munich | pal traction advocates in Chicago. Carter Harrison, former Mayor of l Chicago, expressed general and growing conviction on his return to- lday from a long stay in California, when he said:
 T have not observed that Mir. Dal-
 rymple has recommended municipal | ownership for Chicago. He has said ! there is danger to municipal owner ship where politics plays part in the departments of city government. Chi- cago must do several things before she | is ready to take charge of an indus try employing 20,0O0 men. The pres sure brought to bear upon the City Council of Chicago by 1900 firemen for a twelve hour day Is the best indication of what would happen were we to
 have municipal ownership under pres | ent conditions"
 Objects to Flat Fare. Aside from politics, MT. Dalrymple 1 Is said to be persuaded there will have | to be radical departures from the pres cnt fare system in vogue here before municipal ownership will be a finan- | clal success. He does not like the fiat fare of cents with transfer privi- leges, which permits a passenger to
 ride thirty miles or more for 5 cents" "A city must run it's car lines as a | business enterprise" he says, mot try ing to pay dividends primarily. but to giving the best possible service to the people. while making the system of
 transfers your average rldo Is more than twice as long as ours in Glasgow. For that reason don't believe you can hope to reduce fares below 5 cents
 and maintain the service at tho prop
 CT grade of excellence. It seems to
 me the private corporations must lose
 money on many of their passengers, on
 account of these long rides" Mir. Dalrmyple is said to hope that
 civil service system could be devised
 and put in operation in Chicago. which
 would nullify the present political in-
 huence in municipal affairs. The pre-
 ponderance of belief among Chicago
 men of affairs Is the city is not edu-
 cated up to such radical reform. much
 as such a system might be desired.
 The Glasgow expert will leave Chi
 cago Friday for the East, where he
 will inspect the traction systems of
 Washington, New York and other cit-
 les. It is expected he will not make
 his full and official report to Mayor
 Dunne until he returns home.
 Stories that MT. Dalrymple is dis
 gusted with what he has found in Chi
 cago and that he feels disposed to
 make no report are denied by him and
 the Mayor.
 Newspaper folks should be careful not to oonfine interment and intern