Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-02
nIecalLAEEous RGooRn
Wherein Lies Tho differences.


The subject Of municipal ownership Of
public utilities continues 70 attract dis
eussion, and, naturally, the results Of such
ownorship in foreign cities are freely cited
IN support Of the contention that munich
pal ownership may be adopted with satis-
factory results in the cities OF the United
States.
Mr. Frederick Upham Adams, in the
Manchester City News, collates figures
and facts relating to municipal ownership
In the city Of Manchester, England in the
following effective manner
Gas Furnished TO householders at 60
cents per 1 900 cubic feet; power, as cents.
Heaters and gas ranges are supplied free.
Since its manipulation gas has paid
into the city treasury over Sl6,0OOOO0 of
profits to help reduce taxes. The laborers
who used to get $3.50 per week now get
$3.50 with a decrease OF two hours per
day labor.
Electricity AT Grst Il cost H. 6s cents
per unit, but now Is supplied at $3.50 cents
per unit, and as an aside has paid $780,
600 70 tho relief Of rates within the past
thme years.
Water There Is little 10 be said under
this head except it is the best and cheapest
IN the world.
Tmmways These have only been
munieipalEed four years, and in that time
wages have been advanced from S4.25 TO
SO. lat this wage tho motorman or con-
ducior Is infinitely better housed than
the New York mem, hours have been
reduced from sixteen to twelve, and an
badges, DC, are now bought by the city
authorities instead of the employee
Baths sufficient TO supply one to each
five persons. public baths at two cents a
bath and swimming arrangements at one
cent a swim are also enumerated among
Manchesters advantages.
There is no disputing these facts, as
they arc official But in this connection
It is pertinent to ask Where, in an the
United States, is there a large munich
paliiy governed after the system that
prevails in Manchester and other Euro
pean cities2
The most practical demonstration along
this line was the investigation made by
Mr. James Dalymple, the street railway
expert Of Glasgow, into conditions pre-
vailing at Chicago, with special reference
20 tho propriety of applying municipal
rx.-nafal.tf al eft,,l 80. f,.-,.-. a.. ia tf..
IL did not take Mr. Dalrymple long TO
reach the conclusion that municipal
ownership in Chicago, under the system
OF government which prevails there. would
be a costly experiment. burden upon
the taxpayers, instead Of source OF
profit. Chicago is not Glasgow by any
means, and when Mr.. Dalrymple learned
how Chicago was governed by politicians,
and not by the people and saw the results
Of partisan administration, he informed
Mayor Dunno, at whose request he had
come over TO make the investigation, that
municipal operation Of street railways in
Chicago would be dismal failure.
We must fnt reform our entire system
Of municipal government before we dream
OF undertaking municipal management Of
our public utilities OF experiments in
municipal ownership and operation in
this country there is no lack but few
have proved successful And those which
have proved successful are those m which
partisan politics found no place in the ad.
ministration, but only sound busines.
principles those which arc employed il
conducting private business ventures.
When municipal governments in thi
country is cut loose from partisan politics
and made purely business enterprise
conducted solely in the interest of the tax
payers, we may consider the advisa
biliiy Of municipal ownership and opera
tion Of public utilities, and not before.