The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-05-21

TINS week, is an exhaustive eNamina-
ton OF the methods and results OF
municipal ownership in Great Brit
ain. made by Everett w. Burdett, of
the Boston bar.
The importance which the subject
| OF municipal ownership has assumed
In this country is pointed out BY Mr..
Burdett by reference to recent events
IN view of which. he says, mo one
interested in either the safety of pri-
sate capital or the efficiency OF mu-
nicipal administration can close his
eyes to the fact that a great socialis-
TIC agitation is upon us. which may
result in far-reaching economic
changes"
| Never has a wiser and sansr
treatment of those public questions
which most nearly touch the individ-
ual-namely. those arising in and
which concern the municipality In
which he lives and labors--been de-
manded than here and now" Mr..
Burdett containues. I'VE must treat
those who are temporarily dazzled
and misled by the glhbering general
tiles OF sociaiistic and quasi socialis-
tic doctrines with patience and re-
spect." 4 a.a. d. s..-
In such a situation-a clear and cor
rect understanding of the truth about
the actual results from municipal
ownership is OF the utmost import
ance TO every American citizen The
experience of Great Britain being
most frequently cited as indicating
what the experience of America
would be, Mr.. Burdstt went TO Eng
land last summer and gathered ex'
naustive information for his report.
Briefly stated his conclusions are that
municipal ownership aud operation
Of public utilities In Great Britain
has bken only partially successful at
the best, and has failed in many OF
the very respects for which it's sup
porters here claim most and that. so
far as the present status in Great Bril-
tain Is desirable. Il is owing to the
conditions which do not exist and
cannot be duplicated in America.
The first municlpalzed industry
Mr.. Burdett considers Is that OF fur
nishing light. The conclusion Is drawn
that, taking 1t for granted that the
municipalities OF England and Scot
land have, on the whole. succeeded
measurably in furnishing a fair arti-
cpe at a fair price. there is slight
difference in favor of the consumer
in the results obtained from munich
pal as contrasted with private light
ing plants. The success OF these city
UNDERTAKINGS is confined to this sln-
Il gle feature, however. resulting sole
~ to the benefit of comparatively few
consumers and not to that OF the
general public. But against the one
advancing municipal lighting seems
10 AFFORD. Mr.. Burdett sets other con-
~ sequences OF civic ownership and OPP
srations which are of a mostdetrl
mental character.
Restricts Industry.
Perhaps the most serious OF the
III consequences is the hampering
and restriction of industry. The back
wardn - OF the development OF elec-
trical enterprise In England led TO
such a state of things that In 1902
the council OF the institution OF cleo
trlcal engineers appointed a commit
tee to Investigate conditions and sug-
ge-st action that would assist the In
dustry. The committees iabulated
conclusions showed that the United
States, with less than double the
population of Great Britain. has six
times the amount Of apparatus in
stalled for furnishing electric light
and powEr, sixteen times as much for
electris traction. twenty-three times
as many miles Of electric railways,
twenty-six times as much money In
vested in such enterprises.
Next 10 absolutely restricting In
dustry. municipal ownership shows
It's evil effects, Mr.. Burdett declares.
In the encouragement OF private in
yestment. without private capital
and skill new industrial enterprises
do not receive that impetus and de-
velopment which they otherwise
would Private initiative Is always
necessary. Public officials do not in
vent, exploit. OF develop new things.
but leave the field OF discovery, initi-
alton, and development TO private
persons actaated by the hope Of large
rewards. Whatever may be the re-
sub OF the prosecution by the public
or It's representatives OF an enter
prise which has been founded and
put on its feet by individuals, II Is
doubtful II any case Of successful mu-
nicipal initiation Of such an enter
prise can DO cited"
Mr.. Burdett cites many interesting
cases OF municipal and private COM
petition, in which the service AFFORD
ed by public authorities seems inva-
riably to be inferior. out-of-date and
inconvenient To quote a single para
graph: "A striking illustration OF the
results OF municipal and private COM
petition is furnished in the city OF
Sheffield. There the private gas COM
pany supplies good gas at so low
pricv that the city cannot AFFORD to
light its own streets by electricity.
although 1t has municipal electric
plant. which has cost about $4,000
600. And the gas company earns and
N -.