New-York tribune., 1905-12-26
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
Theory Making Little or No Head
scag, Says Correspondent.

that the recent municipal campaign in Boston
would give the people of the country fairly good
idea OF what hold the municipal ownership craze
had taken, inasmuch as Boston has wrested with
the problem well as the State Of Massachusetts
The Boston municipal campaign looked for
ward Illustration for the reason that there
were four candidates in the field. one of whom
was James A. Watson. a mayoralty nominee on
what was believed to be an out and out municipal
ownership ticket. The mserably low vote received
by Mr.. Watson seemed to demonstrate that mu-
nicpal ownership had made no headway In Boston.
but, the contrary, had decidedly lost ground
But now comes Frank Parsons with letter to
the Editor Of THE Boston Herald which was
published last Saturday, in which Mr. Parsons
would have the public believe that municipal own
ership did not cut a sorry figure In the campaign,
but that the Municipal Ownership League did not
indorse Mr.. Watson. If ] mistake not, Mr.. Par
is a daily contributor 70 certain newspapers
that preaching the doctrine of municipal owner
ship from end of the country to the other.
Let quote from one of the newspapers in which
Mr.. Parsons's writings occur. namely. THE New
York American" of December Il. wherein It says:
Boston won magnificent ownership victory in
the city election yesterday. The Municipal
in this city, began the campaign by making fight
for q municipal a. lighting nlant This followed a
gas. which resulted in the reduction Of the price
from 81 to 80 cents
Just before Mr.. Parsons wrote his letter to THE
Boston Herald Professor Frank H Roberts of
the University of Colorado who was sent abroad
by Governor Mcdonald TO inquire into municipal
ownership. made informal report to President
Roosevelt that he had visited Glasgow Manches-
ter. Liverpool London. Brussels. Amsterdam
Antwerp and Berlin. and reported to President
Roosevelt that the public ownership Of public utli-
ties failure in Europe. and predicted that in
the near future it would have few supporters even
In Great Britain where, at time municipal
trading. or, call 1t, ownership had enjoyed
popularity.
Professor Roberts's report had scarcely been pub
lished before c. Augustus Haviland. who was
closely identified with William R. Hearst during the
campaign In New-YorG City. felt It incumbent upon
him (Air. Haviland9 to write an open letter to
President Roosevelt. In which he said In part:
observe from the PUBLIC prints that person
known Professor Frank II. Roberts. Of the
University Of Colorado has represented to you that
utilities is failure in Europe. As all the official
tnguished professor. and as from the public state
ments. he has laid special stress upon what seems
respectfully ask that before accepting his utter
ances as truthful your excellency consult The Mu
nictpal Year Book"
Mr.. Haviland then gives a list of several places
In England where he would have Il appear mu-
nicipal ownership, trading, is a success. In
fortunately Mr.. Haviland has made an error in
the selection Of the places that he mentions for in
a vast majority of them municipal trading. or
ownership. has been decided failure.
At a meeting of the London Council March IS
OF this year strong protests were made against
proposal to facilitate the raising Of loans by bor
ough councils. One member said that could
remember the time when there was such high
proportion Of empty property in London People
had been driven out of houses and tradesrnen
ruined by the high rates. Now the council pro-
posed to encourage borrowing. which was
almost wholly responsible for the rising rates"
On the day Lord Avebury in a speech be-
fore the London Chamber of Commerce. referred
to the great increase In municipal expenditure
Municipal expenditure has increased in forty years
from sSo0OOO0 10 less than $2e 000 according
to Lord Avebury. Taking ten years. the increase
had been sSi0,Oo00O0. Lord Avebury said there was
no profit in municipal ownership undertakings. 1t
was easy. he said, to show a profit where there
was a monopoly but all monopolies bad, and
those Of governments and municipalities were
worst of ALL because they could not be controlled.
Lord Avebury further said that local authorities
were running head heels in debt, and that the
outstanding loans Of local authorities of England
and Wales had risen In ten years by less than
S20.O0eOo, and amount to over 81 rs coo
He further said, I'VE paying $34O,GOG00O a year
were ten years ago.
These figures are q matter of record and it is
only recently that throughout England leagues
have been formed to thwart further increases In
taxes and stop the growth Of municipal trading
or ownership.
electric traction. Boston operates more than three
times the length Of track and runs 20 per cent more
cars, in proportion traffic. How about e wages?
The pay of motormen and conductors in Glasgow
ranges from 81 cents day during the first. six
months to 81 q after three years of service In
Boston surface car conductors and motormen re-
ceive & % elevated. S2 90 the first year 81 40 the
second and $2 90 the third; bFakenen 81 IS: guards
= 10; while all these employees receive 3 cents a
Gay pay additional after five years of service 10
cents after ten years and Is cents after fifteen
years. Ihese rates are about double those paid in
Glasgow From the operating standpoint, there
1ore. whether 1t be In respect to wage expense
tTackase operated or amount of car movement, or
cant reason for higher average fares for passen-
held in mind. also that in Glasgow there is no
that known the short haul ''D' .
III course the municipal ownership fasco in
President Rooseve very f fortnaate tnaa Is
his % nnI3a 9of nave to rely upon Mr. Havland for in
ence 10 public ownership:
T. is because, in my Judgment. public ownership Of
in this country entail far reaching disaster But
th Tasn 70 see sucn supervision and regulation of
eFioent that there is need for public ownership
kinds Of difficulties are sure 10 arise in Connection
with any plan of solution, while no plan will bring
oToSe unde UNI s any 6eaRy pab aH he
FIner WE w1 ,S,et 1eFe9p n gra6uay and not rapidly
nc servants VINO are 10 do this peculiar, RESPONSE
highest type. both as regards integrity and eff
t, ite,ncy. Iney must be well paid, for otherwise
they must possess lofty probty which win revolt
es quickly at the thought OF pandering to any gust
OF popular prejudice against rich as at the
thought of anything remotely resembling sub
seFviency TO rich men.
The question Of getting competent men to take
positions in the administration OF public utilities
has always been unsuccessful where incompetouce
has been given the place by political leaders
AT this VT ing disaster seems have come even
to the I. Mu9icipai Ownership organization in Brook
borough has apparently. according to a newspaper
to-day, Withdrawn his support from that lnovenent
and sherif-elect Fiaherty, who was q candidate on