New-York tribune., 1906-05-07
N0RTHAMPTON'S TAXES
Side Lights on the Question of Pub
lIc and Private OsonersIip.
Northampton. rnr1a7e 49,

tne least progressive IN municipal works. 49,
amptOn's earliest charters were eransss ~,
~ II and Richard Coeur de Lion; bue 4sr .-,..
could be traced beyond the Saxon chr,-,.,sSS'
British legends. A stronghold OF tina r,na,-.-. y
barons. u witnessed the passage Of arrnFss -.
TeVeis OF COURT and the assembling Or uz~,,,
ments' and In the fulness OF time u was -
Verted INTO the most Radical constituerev a.
England. with Bradlaugh ana Iaboucba-. - - -
chosen advocates and champions OF eha g..-
thinking shoemaEeTs. Yet with sta~,a,. -
servatism 10 has offered resistance - ~. -
dencies of cOllectivIsm in local adnainissr,''--
which have changed the order of uounic,,,I 49,
In other towns. IL has had so manv y,r,,.,--,
traditions from hOary antiquity that = -
lacked the energy required for keeping ar,-.n-.
with the modern activities OF democracy 4, I,--
centres OF population. Like other historic -
Winchester, Exeter, Norwich Shrewsbr-v -
Reading among them-it has been con4.,s -
keeping the record Of its past greatness. $50 -
neglected opportunities for INVESTING earss,1 -
collectivist industries and creating a nav -.
OF municipal socialism.
Il can hardly be expected that ths p,.s,,z.,
Civic Associations commission from 49,
can make a comprehensive report on r,uB,-,,,1
ownership in the United Kingdom after an -
vestisatiOn OF the comparative results IN 4 -
cities where the gas. electric lighting ana tra--.
way services are conducted either BY the Iorar
authorities or by private companies. BY s.1a-s-
Ing instances In which q plant Of exeenfI,-,,
excellence Is operated with skin ana .ss1,--,-
the commission will subject public ana r-,-zs.
ownership 20 practical test: ana Il WIN b.r,
a basis for comparison between British 49,
American administration on the two exza,s,,1
details OF cheapnsss and efficiency IN Hu.no-s,-s
services. This will be a valuable contrfarsT,, -
the economics OF local government but ira rs,,-
mission. even with the aid cf accomulishAs a--
peTts. engineers ana accountants. vlV r-.rs1v
have touched the fringe oG a great subf.et- O,,v
three public services In few cities OF Isrya 49,
UlatIOn Will have been taken up ana rns-,, -
poets OF local government win have bean nsyl.c..
ed altogether. Some oc these aspects 7 have Hs.n
endeavoring to present In a fair minded vravrv
making special study Of municipal aEnInlE-
tration In a few towns which the comnlssio,
Is not visiting.
In Northampton. for example. the corporation
has owned the markets. cemeteries anH vsts-
supply. has conducted public baths and estao-
lished a free library and museum, and has ar.
perlmented with sewage farms ana rerls. Ga.
structors; but IL has not gone into uunicipal IN.
dustries on a large scale. Gas ana electricity
have remained IN private hands. and. while few
municipality. it g only q short time since an
electric service has been substituted 1or horss
traction. This belated introduction Of electric
railways SOF q town Of over $4,000 population.
surrounded with Industrial villages and suburbs.
seems a meaSre result from the American uoIrt
OF view. In America private enterprise has sup
piled much larger facilities and quite as ehea1
transit for towns OE the same population In
the United Kingdom a. q whole there Is an
aggregate mileage Of 2,IO0 against $4,000 IN
America: and when New York or Chicago is
compared with London. or Boston with Man
chester. or others towns OF about the same pop
Ulation are pitted against each other. the aa-
vantage IS heavily in favor OF America In eheau-
ness OF fares for long distances. in general eFi-
cheney Of plant and in public eonvenlsnce. In
this respect Northampton and other ancient
towns like those have classed with g are be-
hind the times IN comparison with American
cities. In electric lighting and gas services they
are equally backward.
II efficiency and cheaDness have been sacri-
feed by conservatism. has there been any gain
In civic economy? Are the rates lower IN
consequence Of a shrinkage OF investments n
municipal services? Lower certainly than n
Norwich or WOlverhampton OF which I have Es-
Gently been writing; but high IN comparison
with towns in the North, where profitable MT
nieipal services are conducted and the rates ma
teriaIly lowered by them. Northampton receives
from markets and rentals profits equivalent @
about pence in relief OF local taxation. and the
rate remains above S. Cd. TOxatiOn Is hish be-
cause pauperism Is q heavy burden steadily n
creasing In weight. and also because the educs-
tional expenses have been expanding since IRE
voluntary schools have become q public charge.
The poor rate accounts for Ons-Quarter ot tas
local taxation. and when the School Board ex-
penses are added nearly one-half OF the cost a
local government Is covered ConseSus1ii%
while private companies have been allowed %
retain control OF the gas and electric services
and there has been only q belated and Hnodssais
investment in electric tramwaya local taxatioa
has run up and win probably 50 higher SUI
The raGieallsm OF the shoemakers' bOrousH has
not taken the form OF municipal socialism Ssa
the EatepayeEs are heavily taxed n spite ot sns
lack OF enterprise IN municipal trading @2ese1.
a strong force OF public opinion has been eteA-e1
In favor OF municipal services BY which q S''''--
ing or more has been taken or the rates N nia17
enteEprising towns.
do not know that the American sXpa4's Va.
concern themselves deeply with the Is'4l.- -.
municipal undertRkings 70 local taXauon- -
are engineers and accountants eapaols O -
ing close comparison between the pLaAes % =.
best public and private gasWorEs' us.lsas' Ns.,,s
and electric systems IN English ana sS''
towns. and OF estimating the hnanel1 80
from the point % view Of the consumes
resident. When they have completed tn7- y
OF inspection OF mechanism and eNa'll -
accounts they viii be In 3 position % -s-, go
the general question Of cheapness ana elua.s =
and to decide whether American cities t'
an inferior or a superior position undss SEl'-s
ownership and operation of street FaAl.
gas and electric supplies. consider u o1ss ss.s
ful whether the investigating cOuTnissioa' 49,