The San Francisco call., 1906-10-06
Commission of Experts Engaged in Studying
the Municipal Ownership Question.

" FIFTEEN members of the commit
- tee of twenty-one OF the COM
L, mission on public ownership
sailed from New York on May
! % and completed their work abroad in
six weeks. They began their itinerary
at Dublin and concluded their labors
at London. In all their examinations
the COMMITTEES consulted with the en-
| gineers and accountants. Not only did
these technicists accompany the COM
mittee upon its visits to the many
plants inspected. but they were also
engaged-in pairs, the one the nominee
/ of the pro. the other OF the anti-mem-
bers--in completing the critical exam
! inatfon OF. the plants coming under
their respective jurisdictions
! The cities visited and the kind Of
plants examined were as follows:
Dublin--street railways privste.
Giassow--street railways public. electric pub
| lie; gas public
Newcastle on -Tyne---Electric private; gas pri
vate
Mspchester-Fiectric public; street railways
( pubic, RR PUBIC
Leieester-Gas pubic; electric public; street
RAILWAYS public
shefaeld-esas private.
! Birmingham-Gas pubic
Liverpool Electric public; street railways
public
%orwieh-street railways private.
| London--Elect-fc public aud private: street
railways public and private: gas public and
private.
| From the very beginning greet In
terest was manifested in the work OF
the commission Boards of trade. pri-
vate companies. city governments. la
Dor leaders. members Of ParlSament.
officials OF the national Government.
representatives OF rate payers associa-
tions-all seemed interested. and every
facility was placed at the command of
/ the COMMITTEES.
The general sentiment was that the
report of the commission should be Of
no less value to the people OF Great
Britain and ireland than to the people
Of America. The fact that so many
men drawn from different walks Of life
and OF such diversity OF opinion could
be got together and dispatched upon
so important mission was much com
mented upon; as was the further fact
that they had set sout to determine
| the actual conditions In each case by
employing a corps OF engineers and
accountants. In short. the commission
and its sponsor, the National Civic
Federation. were warmly commended
| fer vii +,
manifest Importance to cities.
The last meeting held in London
adopted RESOLUTION outlining a plan
for the accomplishment OF the remain
| ing work of the committee This reso-
luton provides:
! That as schedules are completed con-
les OF the same are to be promptly fur
nished members OF the committee that
DIR. Maltbie prepare history OF par
iiamentary action in relation to the
municipal utilities under investigation:
| Professor Goodnow prepare a report on
political conditions in the municipaii-
ties OF the United Kingdom as com
pared with such conditions in the
/ United States, the same to include
discussion of the relation OF said po-
litical conditions to public and private
operation Of the particular municipal
utilities; Professors Bsmis and Parsons,
and Messrs. wslton Clark and Edgar.
either Jointly or individually. prepare
such statements for the plants inves-
tigated here and abroad: that the
schedules for each plant be collated
in clear concise statement for the
use Of the committee In drafting it's re-
port; that the offieeys OF the committee
prepare general statement Of conclu-
sions and recomme additions that may
| be used as a basis OF discussion and
adoption with such emendation as the
committee may order
In this country the work OF inves-
tigation is almost completed The
cities that have been visited are:
Wheeling Allegheny. indianapolis.
Chicago and South Norwalk A num-
Der Of other cities have been examined
by the experts and BY members of
the committee whose work has been
specialized.
A report upon the Massachusetts
method OF regulating the electric light
ing industry Is being prepared by AL
ton D. Adams tWorcester) and c. l. R.
Humphreys OF Humphreys & Glasgow
| (New York;.
Expert work not technical in char
acter IN relation to the plants selected
| is being performed by Professor John