Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-16
GLASGOW FINDS THAT THEY
ARE NOT PAYING
Costs $40, 900 to seizure Half as Much
in Revenue--vvilI Give the Plant
Up to the Postofflce De-
partment
BY ALEXANDER emMouR

own nerShip propositions, WHICH IL mas
been claimed have reached their high
est stage of perfection in Glasgow, will
be interested If not susprised at the
latest reports upon the telephone situa-
ton. The consensus Of opinions here
appears to show that the general post
office department took over" the tele-
phone system Just in time to prevent q
disa strous failure.
The accounts which relate to the tele-
phone department. show nominal ball
ance on the years workings of $24O.
This paltry sum is called a surplus,
but, as a matter of fact, 1t is no sur
| plus at all. 1t is only the balance Of
revenue after deducting the working
expenditure, and is all that can be APP
piled out Of income to depreciation ON
| a capital Investment Of 81 300, 900. The
rent tails for the year ending May 81
amounted to $275,000, and the amount
| of progress in public favor may be
mea sured by the fact that this COM
pares with a rental Of $27O, 900 in the
| previous year, an insignificant Increase,
after incessant canvassing, of only
$4,000. But 1t has cost $40, 900 to gain
| this increase, as the working expend-
iture has been $1S0,OO0, compared with
| $170, 900 in the corresponding period.
| After bringing forward the proportion
| of rentals in 1904-5 applicable to 1906,
| and deducting the rentals amounting
| to $13,500, the sum of revenue appears
| as $2S5,000 as compared with $275,OOO.
The working expenditure has been $780,
500, which, being deducted, leaves the
net revenue about hte same as last
year. The interest to loans fund and
the sinking fund have, however, to be
paid out of this, and the sum required
this year is $1,000 as compared with
$95, 900 at last balance. Thus, while
1904-5 accounts showed balance called
surplus of $500, which was carried to
general depreciation fund, the present
accounts show a nominal surplus of
only $240 which is also generously
transferred to depreciation account.
Is to End
In any event it is interesting to note
that the municipal telephone system is
about to end. The stores, tools and
movable property are to be taken over
by the postoffice at a valuation but
whether the valuation will come up to
the book entries remains to be seen.
The telephone committee says that the
loss to be sustained by the sale to the
postofice is estimated at $75,O0O but
that "this loss, although a matter of
regret, is insignificant in comparison
with the benefits reaped by the tele-
phone users in Glasgow, and Indirectly
by the community at large, from the
cheaper and better service they have
enjoyed as the result Of the establish
ment of the corporation telephone serv-
ice."
The Glasgow Herald has the follow
ing to say editorially upon American
politics:
Though the next presidential cleo
4 ion in tho Cfotn &c OF
than two years off, the public, or at any
rat tie the newspapers, are already Begin
ming to busy themselves with specula-
tions on the subject. 1t is true that no
part in these speculatlons has hitherto
been taken by the regular party man.
agers-the men who will ultimately ex-
ercise the controlling power in the
choice of candidates. Their silence,
however, Is probably due less to any
feeling that action is yet premature
than to absolute uncertainty as to the
direction in which the action should be
taken. This is assuredly the case SO
far as<the Republicans are concerned.
Among the Democrats, w. j. Bryan
is the only man whose name has yet
been mentioned as that of a possible
candidate; in respect of personal popu-
larity, and of command of that particu~
lar type of platform eloquence which is
indispensable toc presidential candi-
date, there is no other member of his
party who can seriously be put In COM
petition with him.
Like Roosevelt
1.-THE position of the Republicans is
altogether different. In Preslden
Roosevelt, indeed, they have man
whose popularity and personal mag
netism are far greater than Mr.. Bry-
ans; and If he would consent to accept
n ominaton there is no doubt at all that
his name would be indorsed with en-
thusiasm by the rank and file of the
party as we'll as by great numbers of
American citizens who ordinarily take
no active int crest or part in politics.
But there are two serious difficulties
in the way of his candidature. In the
first place, Mr.. Roosevelt, at the time
he accepted nomination in 1904 volun-
tarily gave q specific pledge that he
would not again offer himself for cleo
tion Further, the great capitalists and
heads of the trusts, who really domin-
ate the Republican organization in
side and outside congress, do not love
Mr.. Roosevelt. He is too strong an in
dividuality for them. 1t Is true that
they have hitherto contrived to thwart
or attenuate most of the legislative
measures he has prompted with the
view of making public control over
their combinations effective. But they
have never been able to make tool of
him; and his tireless persistence in his
own line of policy keeps them in con-
stant alarm and exasperation. These
people may not openly aVow their senti-
ments, but they certainly do not want
another term of Mr.. Roosevelt; they
are gravely apprehensiVe that If he
came back to Office, as he most likely
would, on the top Of a great wave of
popular feeling, he would be altogether
| too strong for them. They will do all
they can, in underhand ways to pre-
vent his nomination from being dis
cussed, and. in view OF his own explicit
| declaration two years ago, they may be
| successful
Fortunately for Scotland, the blight
which has so seriously affected the po-
| tato crop in Ireland has not struck
home at the counties in the north of
! Great Britain. Reports from all parts
| of Scotland indicate that the outlook is
very good indeed,
Dreamand to Reopen
Dreamland skating rink. which has
| been closed several weeks for improve
ments, will reopen tomorrow night. The