The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-06
TRIED PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Liverpool Years Ago Took Over the
Street Car Lines

OccupleS uTSt pace among the muuiCi-
pal problams now commanding atten-
ton in Great Britain. Liverpool was
one of the pioneers in tramway con-
struction, though it was only recently
that the municipality came into full
possessionof tramway properties. It's
experience with the boosted English
conservatism is fairly typical. After
George Francis Train and other Amer
leans had demonstrated at Birkenhead,
a suburb of Liverpool, the practicable
ity of tramways the city authorized
company to use its streets for that
purpose. This was in 1869. -Four
years later the service was so insult
ficient that the city served notice on
the company to remove its tracks. Sub
sequently compromise was made by
which the city reconstructed the lines
at the cost of the company. In 1879
the company entered into an agree
ment with the city under which the
latter purchased the existing lines for
$4,000 and completed various other
lines, leasing the whole system to the
company at rental of tx per cent on
the purchase money from the date OF
construction, the lines to be maintain
ed at the cost of the city. In 1895 the
city made lease to the company ex-
tending until 1915, but reserved the
right to purchase under certain condi-
lions.
Two years later the patience of Liv-
erpoOl was exhausted. The company
utterly failed to properly manage its
affairs. It's rates were extOrtionate
and its service worse. 1t absolutely re-
fused to introduce mechanical or cleo
trical power, and after due delibera-
tion the city decided to acquire and
operate the undertaking. Parliament
granted the power, and in 1897 the en-
tire system passed into the hands OF
chase price being about $2,S00,000.
the municipal authorities, the pur-
The city went about the tramway
enterprise in thorough business way.
It proceeded to engage the service of
G, r. Bellamy, one of the foremost of
English civil and mechanical engi-
neers, a man fully conyersant with
the science and practice of Transport
tatiOn on both sides of the Atlantic.
In two years. time the hundred miles
Of horse car tracks had been trans
formed to electrical traction, and in
addition there had been laid forty
miles of new track.
The citizens were delighted with the
change. In the place of filthy, i'll light
ed and slow moving horse cars, run
ming at long intervals, there was in
stalled system which in all respects
compares favorably with the best mod
ern practice in the United States or on
the continent. More than that, the city
made a sweeping reduction in the
rates of fare.
It reduced the hours of it's conduc-
tors and motormen from eighty to
sixty week and actually paid them
more for the shorter hour day than
they had formerly been receiving. The
private company sold the mems uni
forms and received tidy profit from
the transaction. The city gave uni
forms to it's men and only insisted
that they keep them clean and in good
repair, SO as to reflect credit. on their
employer.
The first year of electrical traction
and of a trial of all of those radical re-
forms was 1901, and when all expenses
had been paid there remained a profit
Of more than 100000. The best the
private company had been able to
show with it's high fares, low wages
and niggardly policy was $1S4,0OO.
After paying into the sinking fund,
meeting interest charges and. setting
aside $175,000 for renewals and depre-
citation there remained large sum.
The profits for the second year were
$865,000, an increase over the preced-
ing year of $165,0OO. The tramways
department contributed $125,000 of
this to the general tax fund.
In addition to it's voluntary contri-
button to the general fund the munich
pal tramway pays its taxes just as if it
were private corporation This prac-
tice is common with the municipal
enterprises of all cities in Great Brit
ain. Municipal tenements and cottages,
municipal gas plants and electrical
lighting and power stations, tramways,
markets and all other revenue seeking
Institutions pay not only city but also
income taxes. Last year Liverpool's
tramways paid in taxes sum exceed
Ing 5000. The city owns the cleo