The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-15
Municipal Ownership.

The experiment which Chicago proposes
10 make in municipal ownership and ope-
ration Of her street car lines will be
watched with intense interest throughout
the United States. For our part while
We are not given 10 making gloomy pre-
dicaions we cannot believe that the ex-
pertinent viii prove to be successful and
satisfactory. from any point of view. It
Mill bestow upon tlls municipal govern
men, an enormous patronage and patron
age is very apt TO lead 10 corruption. But
it Is nat that phase OF the question which
we are now considering. We do not
believe that municipal corporation is
caparle Of carrying on business OF this
cha racter as successfully as q private cor
porat:on. Municipal corporations have lit
tie Of the spirit OF enterprise and pro-
gress in them, and We of Richmond IN
derxtand that only too we'll. For many
years the city of Richmond has been
until within the last year or 50 has any
definite step been taken TO clarity the
water. II our water works had been
operated BY g private corporation. the
result would HAYS been different. II the
corporation itself had no; had the enter
prise TO give cleeF. water popular clanor
would have been ,snch Es 70 make it do
80. whether or not. Not only is the wa
ter insufferably muddy at certain seasons
OF the year, but in many residences 1t
is impossible al certain hours of the day
to get supply on the third floor. Yet
the municipality which owns and operates
the plant gives itself very little cor
Germ because 1t has monopoly, and the
people submit. TO 1t because the water
works belong to the city.
Much the same criticism might be made
of tho gas works. What sort OF enter
prise has the municipality shown in MAX
ing and supplying gas to the people OF
Richmond? Does anybody believe that
this condition would have existed under
private ownership and operation?
We have in Richmond a splendid syn-
tenn of electric railway, The lines have
been extended as rapidly as conditions
justified, the service is first-rate and We
have low uniform rate OF fare. Does
anybody believe that this system would
have been thus developed under municipal
ownership. and that we should have had
anything like 80 good q service under
municipal operation? Does anybody be-
lieve that the policy under which the wa
ter works and gas works of Richmond
have been operated. would have given
us a successful and satisfactory street
car service? Does anybody helieve that
under municipal ownership Richmond
would have been the first city in the
United States 10 have successful cleo.
trio railway service? To ask these dues.
tions Is TO answer them,
Let US not run wild with a new idea,
Let us remember that tho government il
never progressive; the government inyentl
nothing; the government exploits nothing
the government carries on all It's az
fairs by routine, 1t is In This respect ;
ponderons machine withoW tho spIrl
which anmates private enterprise. no
is 1t at all strange that this should b
30. for the government does not carr
ON business for profit. and where thi
incentive is lacking, enterprise and Pre-
gTess Will also be lacking
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