Arizona republican., 1905-07-30
PHoENIx. ARIZONA. JULY 30, 1905
Another Glasgow Expert


 Governor La Fonette's announce nent that a smash-uD of the two old political parties is about due and that municipal ownership is the coming ls- sue is merely a narrowing of the lines ,1pon which MT. Bryan thinks the next presidential campaign will be fought MT. Bryan would set the state and na- 1ion. as we'll as the municipality to work along the path of modified so- cialism. Without any attempt at present to discuss these prophecies and issues-it is always much safer to leave oracIes to their fulfillment or n-fulfillment-it is interesting 10 learn from a presumably impartial foreigner that the spirit of prophecy has also descended upon him as to matters American and municipal The announcement is delivered by MT Crawford of Glasgow. who purposed to visit Chicago with Mir. Dalrymple as a municipal expert, but was prevented by illness. He now designs to go to Chicago. of his own accord, and pay ing his own expenses, in order to help along the issue of municipaIzatlon or public utilities in the United States MT. Crawford, in a letter explaining why he plans to make the trip, gives expression to the opinion that big war is impending in the United States over the question of principles, and says: "I would like to strike America at the rising of the wave and do my best to send it triumphantly forward. I have the most absolute confidence in the power of the American people to realize themselves and to rise to great effort as soon as they see that the thing ought to be taken in hand
 Apparently MT Crawford, like Gov ernor La Toilette and MT. Bryan, is not talking of things he sees dimly on the horizon of the future. His letter seems to indicate that he is packing his trunk and making ready to be in at the start of things and himself give the wave of municipal reform an inn petus. He already sees the shadow of coming events; to his vision it falls across the United States from Chicago, and hence that city will be the Mecca of Glasgow's evangel of municipaliza- ton No 2 Frankly speaking of his beliefs and his hopes of their reali- zation in the United States MT. Craw- ford. as quoted in the Chicago Tri- bune, says:
 50 long as the aim of civic gov ernment is clean, the tone high, the ideal lofty and the object is to fos- ter and create better conditions of life from every citizen, high or low, rich or poor-apart from all sectional or political interests-theA I hold that the control and extension of municipal en- terprises of all kinds is a blessing and always will be successful Toward this end civic refoFmers in the states must work"
 These sentiments are altruistie, idealistic and admirable. but that dreadful adjective. practical can hardly be added. MT. Crawford else where in his letter says: 'I can see no limit to the possible good in this way. provided that good, capable men are found with civic patriotism enough to serve their fellows without fee or reward in carrying on these public services as a part of. their duty to the community in which they live"
 Precisely here lies the difficulty. or a part of it. in the way of municipal ownership and operation of public utilities in America. It increases our respect for MT. Crawford to learn from others, not himseif-that in this respect he practices what he breaches. For years a successful wholesale mer- chant in Glasgow, he has held many offices in the municipality and al ways without compensation. He is now to carry this principle still fur ther. and at his own expense to pro- pogate at Chicago and elsewhere the prit ciples of municipalization in which he believes. Such an example is in spring. and it is to be hoped it will prove contagious; yet we do not like to think of the shock to MT Craw- fOrds feelings when he comes to face facts as to the government of Amerl- l can cities. We hope he may retain | his enthusiasms. but they do not seem | specially adapted to the state of af- | fairs he will find in Chicago or in most | cities on this side of the Atlantic