The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-05-21
Municipal Ownership As It
Prevails in Great Britain.

made an average profit OF $45.-
1875 each while only s per cent.
showed a loss. The government tele-
phone lines for the year ending
March 81. 1905. showed loss OF
$637 600. while the loss on govern
ment telegraph lines In the same pc
riod was $4,4s7.60 I'm cases Of
loss in the prosecution OF a municipal
business" Mr.. Burdett pertinently
remarks. "of course. the non-consum-
err. being rate-payer. must stand the
bruno. in the form of increased rates.
He has been made an involuntary
partner In an enterprise not estab-
l.shed for his benefit and from which
he can DERIVE no advantage except In
the form OF profits. II any are realiz-
ed. and must bear the losses II there
are no profits" tft.
increasing class OF ofiice-holding vot-
ers and the tremendous increase OF
municipal indebtedness and taxes are
obvious objections to municipal own
ership and are among its very serious
results In GNat Britain. The natural
effect is that the character OF men
who are willing to assume the re-
sponsibilities of public Office Is be-
coming lowered from Its previous
high standard. 1t IL generally recog-
nized that the local governing boards
OF the larger British towns and cities.
are becoming less. rather than more.
efficient; and the multiplicity of their
duties has grown TO be such that they
are, In some cases. fairly swamped
with the extent and variety of the
public concerns which engage their
General Conclusions. i.hl.
Mr. Bundett's general conclusions
are that. even IL one dlsagrees with
him as to the character of ths results
achieved by municipal Ownership In
Great Britain. II would be Impossible
to duplicate them In this country .ow-
| ing to the totally different political
conditions which have produced
there a much Higher grade OF segisla-
tive and executive local officials. Not
only Is the municipal civil service IN
Great Britain totally different from
that OF America" he says. and de
pe ndent for sis character and tenure
upon a wholly different system OF
laws and administration but the pub
l.c sentiment and education OF the
people OF the two countries upon the
subject is so opposed that the condl-
tons in either country could not be
reproduced, by legislation or other
wise, In the other.
In view OF all the foregoing con-
siderstions. Il Is manifest that the
ontinued encouragement OF the ex-
ploltation OF private business by prl-
vate capital. rather than the entrust-
ing OF business or quasi business en-
uGrprises to municipal officials. is the
only sound course to be pursued In
che United States.
Glasgow. with all Its boasted pro-
gress toward the millennium OF mu-
nicipal ownership. has a total Of only
las miles OF municipal railway which
Is less than one-ihlrd OF the mileage
OF III, company which serves the city
OF Boston. though the scotch city has
larger population than the Ameri-
can. The population per mile Of track
In Glasgow 10 two and a third times
greater than that or the Boston sys-
TEN; yet Glasgow refused to consent
to have private capital connect the
city with several important suburbs
by building eleven miles OF track. Ac-
cording TO the census OF 1891 more
than third of Glasgow's 100000
people live in one or two room tene-
mants. each tenement housing from
three to ~ persons condition
Americans would consider intolera-
BILE.