The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-05-25
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
Judge Dunne's Views on Its
Operation In Chicago.
HOW CITY WILL GAIN RAILWAYS

HOW CITY WILL GAIN RAILWAYS
Western Metropolis' New Mayor Says
Power of Condemnation Will Re
Ussd-Street Lines to Be Appraised,
and Amount Fixed Will Be Deposit
ed With City Treasurer, aud Own
exs Can Take or Leave It.
Judge Edward E. Dunno, elected
mayor Of Chicago on the municipal
ownership ticket, who recently went to
New York city to tell New Yorkers
something OF the plan Of which he has
been a champion for years, expressed
the belief to a New York Times report
er that municipal ownership Of Chicago
street railways Will come within two
years Of his term, although he admits
that this Is a short time m which to
bring about so sweeping change.
Judge Dunno tells an interesting sto-
~ Of bow be first became deeply inter-
ested tn municipal ownership. It hap
pened some years ago while be was
travelling In Switzerland. While In In
terlaken be stepped into telegraph Of
fee to send a message to Lucerne and
when be came to pay for It was told
that the price was about cents. he
thought q mistake had been made and
told the operator that such message
would have cost 10 or 80 cents In the
United States.
"But you see, here the government
operates the telegraph system" said
the operator, "and the rate Is much
cheaper"
I This Judge Dunno said, set him to
thinking. and wherever be went he
found that the case was similar where
public service utilities were concerned.
From that tine he became the cham
pion Of municipal ownership.
I'VE have tn Ch1cfgo," be said, "the
worst street railroad system In the
country. We mean to take hold Of
this, re-equtp It and run It tn the inter
ests OF the people, We will accomplish
this without one cent Of taxation on
the community simply by the power OF
condemnation, which every railroad In
the city has exercised for years against
the owners Of private property. You
see, that law was supported by the
street railway companies. Now we are
going to give them taste Of their own
medicine. We Will show them that a
law can work both ways, and they
surely cannot kick Il we fairly apply
to them the laws Under which they
have themselves acted 80 Long.
III they hck, we'll and good. While
the kick Is In progress the city will
have control Of the roads, and the
courts viii IN the meantime decide the
cases. estimate, and may be a few
millions out Of the way, hat we can
acquire tie street railway systems OF
Chicago fpr about $27,Oo0,0o0 It will
take 100000 to $4,000, 900 more to
modernize them. The tangible values
Of the properties has been placed by
experts at about $soyooo0oo. and they
are capatattzed for about $12QOnOO.
Their stock exchange value just before
my election was about 84000y 900 and
this was hept up by manipulation and
wash sabea
Now, under the law we can take
these roads by issuing street car Ger
ttfcates, In reality income bonds, the
interest being paid out OF the receipts.
When the roads pass into the hands
Of the city all the employees, from SD
perintendent down TO car cleaners Will
come under cvil service roles. We nat
urally will do just as Mr.. Morgan
would do II be got road-get the best
man possible to operate d. When
Yerkes built bis London road be got an
expert from Glasgow to show him all
about It and the lord provost Of that
city has promised to send on bis super
tntendent who has been running roads
under municipal ownersdp for ten
years, to help me tn my work.
1T b too early yet to think Of reach
Ing out for the gas electric Lighting or
telegraph or telephone franchtseA Dut
the Law viii be amended In tne 30 as
to give Us these rights. First we will
tackle tie street railways II we are
htndered We will fight in court and out
Of court. The money vatns pnt On the
roads By experts VOL be paid mto the
city treasurers hands, and the roads
can take OF leave It, tust ss the owner
Of private property could DO when the
roads moved In condemnation proceed
tngs against htm.
aNow, On t,ts question oe municipal
ownership let me give pou few
potnta m Chicago We have been run
ming our vatar pinnt fnr forty pears,
and We have DE cheapest water In the
world
We pasd for tie Vho'e plant out OF
the earu,neR diverted Sf0.Oa0O nom
them to build a sewer system IN our
.s<- >~,A k.ro ,oxu a. nn000 IN the