The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-26
Where Municipal Owne rsl1ipM
Pays.

NJ s6j5 I'M Pays. III
III On Lake Superior, In Canada, Is Port
Arthur. q u town i which was q ven w
necessity! to cooperative administrat ton
OF all public Utilities. It all came bout
through q quarrel be tWeen the Ganad dian
Pacific Railroad Sand tie! own, witt the
result that when the ra Iva m ved 4 six
miles away, purposing n g ma Ike grass
grow In Port $Arthur's streets he peo,--i
pie, in sheer desperation, bull So trolley
line IN order to keep. in touch with the
world, I 1t SO happened that consid erable
waterfalls were almost thin tho city
and from these the necessar ~ electric
power ,,t wa deYel oped N From st rect rail-
ways the town wen next to tel epha ones,
land although the street railroad charges
a Ave con 4 are. the telephone ervice sis
much i less than the old rates charged
by Ia private company y. The Y Bell Com
pany used to- charge $36 aS year for /, g
business telephone, which is now supplied
Z for $24, and q residence telephon g costs 1
only s12la year.
The troubles that befell Glasgow have
mot yet come upon Port Arthur. for the
Telephone system ~ y prospecting under
municipal administration. Conditions I: for q,
municipal operation In Port Art ur are re-
Ideal g ana /, almost mpossbly rare for
1lnore normally constituted communities
The strong hand 81 Of imminent danger
drove Port Arthur to municipal 10 peraa--;2s
ton, and a keen up preciation Of the need
for eternal Wig lance has kept the citi-s
zens from the apathy and graft which VII k,fl
have wrecke many otherI plan Plan
schemes, n 3.SB HI 5$5 s III
AN AZ special correspondent OF he ~ eW
York Evening Post says & 55s
55.'rhe most conspicuous citizen Of II the
town Is q member Of the Railway a nd
Light Commission The Nnernbership OF
the commission is restricted to three. and
one lis elected ench year 1t Is O. greater,
honor to be$a member of the gc ON mission
than tits to be Mayor or a herman The
I3cltizen who has been honored by his $lnu--s
nicipalty as member Of the boa rd my l st
serve without pay. He ls not flowed 'l to
Tissue a pass to O member 9 Il MS own WI
|4family.83l rs Sy$ S} VI IS. Il. 88
city has appropriated everything
with 1T. The controlling officials serving
Without pay, save all OF u tn ~ salaries
which goIto eat UP SO much Of the profits
lFof5 public ties elsewhere, and because
|Sof these and h Their reasons X one would
hardly be justified In pointing to this
town OF 10, 900 as proof pos We tn at nlu-s
nioipal ownership Is justtnablos IN IAN q. eri--i
can cities VI HI III h IN III. tat
ySs":' From tho very beginning the municipal
ownership was success Here sis q the e
latest statement Of income and expendi-
lures issued by the corporation: u VI
IN IA 4yssy, tfl S Gross Cost OF s3lE sgl,
t5 s5s Wi income admin. p roflt:
F rSm t tns sss'stS s sssm s ISL
$E!!,The figures given under cost Of I'd
ministratlon'5 include the salary for; su per-
lintendcnoe and the clerical star required
for tho operation Of these Industries.
On q groHs investment Of $3.50. 900 X 8iin
public utilities Port Arthur earned q net
income last year OF sso, 900 II must be
remembered, however, that the men who
supply the brains and directive force Of
Its municipal undertakings serve with
out remuneration, something that would
| hardly be possible in o. city Of some mills
lions. Until the size OF the city very
much Increases, the prophecy III Of 4 Port
Arthur's Mayor who said - confidently
expect to see the day when tho property
owners OF this town Will walk up 10 tho
AUDITORS Office and eact receive q check
as his proportional share Of the profits
from the operation OF our utilities. after
his taxes arc pnld,,.' Ia not likely to be-
fulfilled From any standpoint, however,
4 II Is q most In erestlng exhibit Of what q
4 municipality can successfully accomplish
under certain conditions, y u
Il -L.-.-- 1000 -aaL s-N..