Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-27
TAX PAYERS GET
POOR BARGAIN
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP Is A
GOLD BRICK
Londoner Declares Burden Of Failure
Falls Upon the People, Who
Are Heartily Sick Of
Experiment

John T.. Mahon of London, England,
one of the principal heirs of the fa-
nous Guinnes estate, and his wife,
Lady Alice Mahon, are making a tour
of the Pacific coast
Mr.. Mahon is a retired member OF
the banking firm of Guinnes e. Ma
hon, and though he Is travelling for
pleasure, he takes an active interest In
various movements in the country and
has been studying several phases of the
industrial and political condition of the
United States
IL hear many people discussing mu-
nicipal ownership and when this sub
ject is mentioned 1 always feel that
want to prick up my ears" said Mr.
Mahon.
1--WE have tried this thing across the
water and we cannot say 1t has been
a success. Many were anxious to have
the system inaugurated and had the
utmost confidence in its ultimate sue
cess, but even many of these have
turned against it and are signing for
the rule of the private corporation.
Says II Is a Golden Dream
''I have not been in America long
enough to learn much of municipal
ownership, as it has been tried over
here, but across the water 1 have
watched the different steps in the
abolition of the corporation in favor
of municipal control of utilities. Peo-
pie are the same the world over. They
are not satisfied with what they have,
but sigh for change. They rush
headlong into anything that sounds
well and do not stop to consider the
worth of the old proverb: Better the
evils L have than those l know not Of
Municipal ownership Is such a
beautiful golden dream that it finds
!,
it is followed by an awakening.
I'm some parts of Great Britain
there is beginning a reaction against
municipal ownership or municipal
trading, as we call 1t. The rate payers
are finding that they have to bear the
burden of expense and that they are
getting no returns either in service or
reduced rates.
I'm many of the English cities the
tramways are under municipal . con-
troll, but in some of them such as
Manchester, Battersea and Birming-
ham municipal control extends much
farther.
Taxes Are Increased
I'm Battersea the council controls, In
addition to the electricity, cemeteries,
libraries, baths, milk supply and sew
eral other forms of trading. The rate
payers OF that place have not found
JndC I[lelr taxes were lowered, Dut IN |
stead they have had to pay higher
rates and their service has been very
poor.
I'm Manchester there is a continually
growing feeling against the advocates
of municipal trading and the faddists
are rapidly being replaced by more
conservative men.
THE municipality has not, in any in
stance of which I am cognizant, been
able to manage the utilities as cheaply
or with as much comfort to the con-
sumer, as they were managed by the
private corporations owning them |
previously to the experiment.
THE river steamers on the Thames |
carrying people from one part of Lon
don to another is a good example of
this. The system was owned by a |
private corporation until the munich |
pality bought it and since then it has !
been failure.
I'VE gave 1t a fair trial under ad-
mirable conditions, but it has been |
nothing but an expense ever since it |
was started 1t takes longer to go
from one point to another than it did |
under private control, the rates have
not been reduced and the steamers
have not been improved"
Mr.. Mahon and his wife are going to |
pass few weeks In California seeing
the various points of interest in the |
entire state and then they will con-
clude a trip around the world before |
returning to London.
II am charmed with all I have seen
of California and though this is my
first visit it will by no means be my
last" said he.