Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-05-19
Everett N. Bupdetl's Conclusions
After Study are That L Can
not Succeed Here.
MASS OF DATA GIVEN m SUPPORT
Boston Lawyer Asserts That What
Success It Has is Due to Conditions
Peculiar to the Islands and Which
Do Not Exist in the Country Where
the Plan Fails.
(Specia, 10 the Daily press (,

OiiNfAo. illt., May lo-CFeTCtL
w. Burdettc. a Boston lawyer. has
made AR exhaustive examination of
the methods and results of municipal
ownership in Great Britain and pre-
sents them in the journal of Political
Economy for May. Mr.. Bur,ctt's
figures and conclusions are looked for
ward to with great interest iii this
city.
Briefly stated, Mr.. Burdett's conclu-
sions arc that municipal ownership
and operation of public utilities in
Great Britain has been only partially
successful at the best and has failed
III many OF the very respects for
winch its supporters here claim most;
anu that, so far as the present status
III Great Britain Is desirable. IL Il: ow-
ing to the conditions which do not
exist and cannot be duplicated in
America
America in the Lead
Inc FIRST mmnicipallzcd industry Mr.
light. The backwardness of the de-
velopment of electrical enterprise III
England led to such state of things
that in 1902 the Council of the insti
tuition of Electrical Engineers appoint.
ed committee to investigate condi.
ton sand Suggest action that would
assist Inc Industry.
The committees tabnlated conclu.
sions showed that!.th United States.
with less than double the population
of Great Britain; has six times the
amount Of apparatus installed for fur
nisfling electric light and power, six
teen times as much for electric ,rac-
ton. twcnty-thrce times as many
miles of electric railway twenty-six
t'nles rs many motor cars, and five
anu half times as much money in
vested in such enterprise.
Private Enterprise Held Back.
Tile principal and controlling cause
OF the results which have been oh.
talnel In Great Britain" Mr.. Burdett
4 says Is found In English legislation
anu official regulation respecting the
\ electric industry. The predominatinp
j characteristic or the legislation has
Deen the announcement of municipal
and the encouragement of private m
dertakings."
Similarly. electric railroading
which has meant so much for the dc.
Velopment of the growing commune
ties OF the United States. has been
RETARDED for years under the English
3provisions for municipal ownership
aand operation Of tramways
though electricity was successfully
Aadapted to street railway work in
&Ensland and Ireland several years he.
Wore 1t was successfully used in the
united States, 1t appears that in 1901
aGreat Britain had only 900 miles of
asingle track electrically equipped. as
against 21,000 miles In this country,
Hand only $500 electric cars. as against
8l6.0Oo here. while its population was
Amore than half as great as ours.
A Next to absolutely restricting in
Hdustry municipal ownership shows its
Mevil effects. Mr.. Burdett declares I'm
%the discouragement of private invest
#ment.
81 On the whole. ii appears that the
@financial results from municipal oper-
cation Of public services in Great Bri-
q tain are unsatisfactory The official
Mreturns for the electric lighting under
Mtakings of the kingdom. for instance.
sAto December 81, 1904, show that fifty
Meight per cent Of the municipal plants
&produced a profit. the average being
I8s4,230 per plant while forty two per
went made absolutely losses
y On the other hand, of the privately
owned plants ninety-two per cent.
#|sanade an average profit of S4512G
ri ach, while only eight. per cent show.
Rd loss. The government telephone
lines for the year ended March 81.
9O5. showed loss of sG37.6OO. while
&3n the loss on government telegraph
e}ines in the same period was s4.497.-
sBoO I" In cases of loss in the prosecu-
81 ION of municipal business" Mr..
E83urdett pertinently remarks. "of
Efourse, the non-consumer. being
mate payer must stand the brunt in
@h ne form of increased rates. He has
Heen made an involuntary partner in
san enterprise not established for his
Penefit and from which he Gun derive
No advantage except in the form Of
Hrofits. If any are realized, and must
5its."