Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-03-07

Of the United Kingdom the right of pri-
vate ownership in public utilities has
been repealed by legal enactments.
Those Of us whose knowledge of what
has happened is confined to occasional
newspaper comments have not the
faintest conception Of the stupendous
momentum of this movement or Of
what it portends not to England alone,
but to every civilized country on the
face Of the earth.
Even more startling is the paradox
that this municipal radicalism has de-
veloped among people who yet stu
pidly cling to obsolete customs and ira
ditions and whose commercial and man
ufacturing prestige Is menaced by their
refusal to adopt methods and devices
OF proved superiority. 1t shall be my
purpose to show in accurate contrasts
the products Of the new radicalism and
the time worn institutions which sur
round them.
It had been represented to me that
our English neighbors were divided
Into two classes in the matter Of pub
lie ownership of such undertakings as
street railways, gas and electric light
ing plants, baths and washhouses, ten
ement houses and cottages, docks, mu-
nicipal farms and other enterprises
which have been completed or are in
progress Of construction. I had been
led to believe from reiterated state
ments in various publications that a
powerful and aggressive minority Of
the English people were arrayed
against any extension Of municipality
owned works and that through their In
duence halt had been called.
The simple truth Of the matter Is that
there is no organized opposition in
Great Britain against the public own
ership Of utilities which naturally tend
to monopolize control There are indi-
viduals who protest against what has
been done and who sound warnings
against all that is proposed, but their
feeble activity makes not the slightest
impression on the collective English
mind.
The citizens and taxpayers Of that
country have accepted public owner
ship and have installed 1t as fxed In
stitution. They act and speak 40 II
they have forgotten that any other sys-
tenn ever existed. They do not consider
new projects as experiments, but az
investments. The few privately owned
street railways are looked on 90 curies-
tiles.
The intelligent observer Of this de-
velopment is almost bewildered by the
paradox which it presents. The Eng
lish Individuals an individual-is the
most conservative in the world. He is
devotedly welded to that which was.
He venerates that which is old. An
dquity is standard Of value. He re-
veres that which an American scorns
as obsolete and SCOTS at Innovations of
demonstrated utility. He prefers a res
idence guiltless Of plumbing and an Of
fee building without an elevator or
any Of the modern conveniences. Be
cause his ancestors did not know how
to heat building in winter or venti-
late 1t in summer he 10 content to suffer
from the inclemencies Of both seasons.
Politically and economically all Of his
teachers were Of the individualistic
school. In fact, there was no Other
school in Great Britain. Germany wal
forced to listen to the radical theorie.
Of Karl Marx and Ferdinand La Sale
France was agitated by the teaching
of st. Simon, Louis Blanc and others
more or less visionary, who commended
for the supremacy Of collective over in
dividual effort. But the writings o,
such men made no Impress In England
against the sober logic Of Adam Smith
John Stuart MIL and more recently
Herbert Spencer. All OF these ant
scores Of lesser dogmatists treated tn,
theory Of public ownership with cru
Aite contempt or else ignored 1t as no
worthy Of attack.
How comes 1t that from such a sol
and In such an atmosphere the stat,
and the city have set themselves up al
the superior Of the private owners O
vast enterprises? How comes It tina
the conservative and unimnginativt
Englishman has boldly initiated pro
gramme which would stagger tn,
adaptable French and con3ound tn,
practical and progressive German7
In no nation in Christendom has In
dividual effort made SO lamentable
failure as In Great Britain. do no
mean failure in a dividend payin
sense, but failure to keep anywher
near abreast of the mechanical, inver
tive and engineering progress Of til
age. The rapid development IF me
chinery and Of processes had the sam
effect In England as elsewhere-viz, til
formation Of large corporations. som
of which secured monopolistic contrt
IN various fields. Gas plants, watel
works and street railways were thu
constructed and operated. At the u
eeption Of these enterprises there We
10 demand for public ownership.
] was not until Travelled EnSlishacn d
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