The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-12-08
CITY OWNERSHIP
REPUDIATED
REPEATED FAILURES PROVE
THEORY NOT PRACTICAL.
investigations Show Results Different
from Those Painted by Social.
istic Speakers.

Des Moines, Iowa-The disclosures
which have been made in Omaha con-
corning the failure of municipal owner
ship in that CITY have attracted wide
spread attention over the entire country,
and especially have the people of Iowa
and adjoining states watched the devel-
oprnents with great interest. both be.
cause OF the proximity of Omaha as well
as because of the general principle In
voived in the Omaha troubles:
Some time ago the entire middle west
seethed with municipal ownership ideas
and fads, but the showing made in Oma-
ha has set up train of Investigations
by those who really wanted to know the
effects of the public ownership of public
utilities, and the result has been that
thousands who formerly were advocates
minds and are as much opposed to their
cities owning the street cars, electric
lights, gas systems. telephones. etc, as
they formerly were in favor of such
When the Iowans began looking
around and investigating municipal own
that system a failure in Omaha, but that
in various other parts of the country
similar reports were being made For
Owned its electric a xht plants hSs
just abandoned the city-owned plant and
has gone back to privately owned
electric light company. In Richmond,
times on municipal ownership ticket,
has recommended that the city sell its
electric light plant and go back to a
and several other Indiana cities are adj
vocating the same thing. and there al
ways remains the city of Hamilton, Ohio.
whose waterworks claimed at one time
to be model of municipal ownership
results. under official investigation
showed itself to be reeking with graft
burden for the tax payers.
In Omaha, the municipal market house
was complete failure and total loss
and to-day stands without a tenant.
This. together with the asphalt plant
and the waterworks muddle, has stirred
omaha taxpayers to point where they
enough of municipal ownership, must get
rid of what it now has on hand, and
must then give the fad a wide berth for
all time to come.
Because of the political unrest of Iowa,
wisconsin and other middle west states.
the agitators who are preaching munich
pal ownership, socialism and other the
cries of this kind, gained ready hear
ing and for a time seemed to be making
Roadway and gaining adherents In every
direction. But the fundamental hard
not permit them to accept the mere word
OF the socialistic siren, however sweetly
sung. They begun investigating for
themselves. They wanted to know how
far the municipal ownership theory jibed
with the results
One of the very first results of these
greatest talk for municipal ownership
emanated from socialistic headquarters
in Milwaukee. Paterson, n. J.. and Chi
they had inaugurated the campaign as
an entering wedge for their beliefs with
the expectation that their cause would
Then, again, it was found that wher--
ever municipal ownership was in opera
ton, taxes had been increased. the serv-
ices rendered were Inadequate and that
sinecures at the public expense. The
work nowhere was conducted as eco
nomically as where private enterprises
at its height Political rings were |
strengthened on every side and the party |
which CHANGED to be in power when the |
power right along. The public officials |
were not men with the proper training |
to handle business Of that kind. usually |
having no technical knowledge of the |
business. and therefore the city's bust |
ness suffered. Individual effort was dis |
couraged and young men filled with en- |
selves found that their services were |
really not wanted by the political bosses |
who usually ruled the municipality owned |
sk woas not S oueston
was wanted or that was employed. |
What was wanted, the sole qualification |
demanded, was political ,.pull,-th s,,, rec
boss. who in the majority of cases was |
a saloon keeper.
The non-property owners who were in |
vestigating the subject suddenly discov- |
cred that whereas they had been taught |
to believe that all the increased taxes |
caused by municipal ownership were |
real estate, that eventually the increased |
taxation was shifted to the shoulders of |
the poor man himself in the way of in |
creased rents and increased cost of sup
plies and raw materials. This point was |
one of the clinchers which caused many |
a western man to change his mind con- |
corning the beauties of municipal own |
ership.
According to reports, the citizens of |
Omaha are congratulating themselves |
that they discovered early in the game |
not altogether rosy. and that they did |
not rush pellmell to acquire the public |
service corporations Of their city at q
eventually have to be paid in the shape |
of high taxes and higher rents. On the |
other hand, the average Omaha citizen |
seems to have decided that he wants no |
rather get rid of even that little bit Of |
the system which the city already has |
taken on. |
This sentiment is gaining ground rap
Idly all over the middle west. The solid |
people have made up their minds that |
they will think a good many times be- |
for a lot Of long-haired socialistic cranks. |
They have seen through the sociahstic |
game. They are getting tired of being |
used as entering wedges for rank social |
ism by voting for the gradual extension |
of its un-American doctrines through the |
preliminary process of extending munic- |
lpal operations and ownership Of enter |
prises which experience on every hand |
In the middle west and everywhere else |
Including Europe, as the former mu-
nicipal ownership advocate. Mayor Nc |
Gently testified-has shown are better adj |
ministered under the good old American |