The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-06


far In excess Of any known here, while
| their average fares per mile are con-
sllernbly in excess.
But the most Interesting observation Is
| cipal trading have stncd industry and
| discouraged individual endeavor. Hc says
that while electricity was successfully
adapted to street railways In England
and ireland several yenrs before 1t was
successfully used in tho United States.
1t has not been developed there in any
thing like the same degree 1t has been In
this country. and has wholly failed to
meet the prime requirements of modern
street railways-namely, the cheap and
classes from the crowded sections where
they toll to healthy suburban residential
districts. Up to 1890 the few British
tramways were in private hands, but
they have now largely passed into the
control of the municipalities under the
provision for compulsory sale.
sAholuCl WHY consequence VI
municipal ownership says Mr.. Burdett,
lis the inadcquacy of supply. Take the
cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh. Manches-
ter, Leeds, Birmingham. and comparing
them with the single city of Boston In
respect to the adequacy Of the supply OF
electricity for light and power. the follow
Ing astonishing results are reached: Bos-
ton alone has nearly as much capacity,
reduced to common standard OF 16-
candle power lamps, as all of the five
British cities named put together. The
number of customers supplied in Boston
is more than 5000 while the number of
customers supplied in the five British
cities named is less than $500. With
population supplied one-fourth smaller.
than that OF Glasgow, Boston has nearly
three times as many lamps and over
60 per cent. more customers. AS COM
pared with Manchester, with slightly
more population supplied. Boston has
nearly four times as many lamps and
nearly three times as many customers.
Compared with Birmingham. the birth
place OF English muncipalism. with a
population supplied nearly as large as
that of Boston. 1t viii be found that the
ratio of customers in favor of Boston
is as six to one and of apparatus in
stalled. as ten to one"
Mr.. Burdett declares also that 1t can be
demonstrated that in the almost single
opportunity in England to compete on
fair terms with municipalities. 1t has ac-
complished very much better results.
But one of the greatest of all evils,
according 10 Mr.. Burdett's estimate, is
the enormous increase under this system
of municipal officers and employees. They
have an organization of more than two
million members, and have necessarily
become an important factor In politics.
so powerful has this organization be-
come says he, in conclusion "and so
baneful has its influence been in NUM-
cipal affairs. that many leading public
officials, like the lord provost OF Glas-
gov, assert that in view of the great
increase in the number of municipal SER
wants the financial interests of the NUM-
cipalities demand their disfranchisement
in local elections
That abuse, If transferred to the United
than in England
In final sum-up of all his observa-
tons. Mr.. Burdett says:
The result OF the whole matter seems
to be that with laws designed and operat-
ing to encourage public and discourage
private enterprise in the conduct of pub
lie service works Great Britain has not
succeeded in obtaining results which we
would care to duplicate in this country"
His objections, in fine. are that munici-
pal operation does not tend to improve
the service or reduce the cost "a III.
consumer, while 1t does tend on the
positive side. to discourage individual
initiative and enterprise and to buill
up dangerous political oigarchy.