The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-08
on MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
EtERErT N. HCRDErT TtLRs ~
ELETFRH II0HT fOttEtTgON.
ftFrpi NJ y Gho,ee m ftns ttUUir'rai 0W"'
sr'hiV itas ~ SiaTflas m the q S,,f' W
teGnWmies Corporations Ware HeHe'
hriaI Nv the putftT Than ~ Inv est6fa,

nrlai w the PutiiT 1tieH ~ tW'es'"fs'
AfL.vtp Cr, \ I Iuor I the y
ycr,ion hrte NJ Tho National flr,tric tAehf
Association liaioned w night Ia nn etposi'
lion N tha present dny rhasra ~ the fnuhic'
lral ownofahlp problem a. ~rfraented ny
tvetrit " Hif.irtt ~ hDaton w Rutdeti
IL \ lawyer who has devoted years " w"
Ifolilrn ~ municipal ownership We spent
much tins hat year In studying th" 1ues
tlons In titpat Rfi'alb ahd Europe
Mr. Hntdctt devoted much ~ hia TIM IN
showing that mWiciral o'ynef1hlr whefe
n hpd had a fair trial. ESPECIALLY IN Europe
had not hcen n sictess. he declarcd that
'eIcer, NJ n choicc ~ rccessary evils,
municipal ownership has NJ standing nthe
court II %economics." and he pleaded for .
Campaign NJ education ~ the people, 40
that they should not IN carried away with
the ideas NJ the '~irresronsible politician
or the -rlhsb aEitator.'
Mr.. Burdett aacribsd the agitation Tor
municipal owne fship 10 the recent exposures
Of the MISUSE Of corporate powers and aid
that the public had forgotten many things.
one of which waR that Il has been only
by the uniting Of the funds Of the rich and
the savings OF the poor In corporate organi-
cations that the country has been devel-
oped' Then Mr.. Burdett gave come sta
tfstics on elect rtcal development In this
country, which he summed up as follows.
"1n electric enterprises the central STATION
electric lighting investment alone already
aggregated $500, OOO, 200, involving an annual
operating expense OF nearly or quite $780,
900, coo, distributed among all classes OF
workmen and through every artery OF
trade. The census reports snow that IN
a.. .l.-i1 .,zn- - t0Ol ihaHA WA nm nIit Nit
Of new electrical apparatus OF the value OF
more than $3.50, 900, 600. There are nearly
5000 central electric lighting stations
There are $4,000 miles Of electric railways
carrying each year over 100000 900 pas
sengers. A network Of nearly 5000 o miles
Of steam railroads gridirons the country.
transporting upward OF 75o, 100000 pas
sengers annually. Spoken words are trans.
mitted through more than 5000 900 miles OF
wire, by the use OF more than 3,ooo,OOO
telephones. by which more n S'eoo'ooo'ooo
messages are ira nsmitted yearly
Mr.. Burdett then laid down the PROPOSE
ton that cit is unquestionably the fact tina
tho public at large have, upon the whole,
obtained vastly greater benefits from cor
porate enterprises than have those whose
of he ninety-six electric railroads OF Massa-
chusetts, carrying more than 500 ;oOo,OOo
passengers a year, and said that only one
third Of them paid a dividend in 1905. Out
Of the ffty-eight electric lighting. COM
panies in the tate only one-third paid any
dividends whatever.
Mr.. Burdett inveighsd against the yellow
journals who foster hatred of established
order, and the politician seeking votes,
who shouts for the municipal ownership
and operation Of anything and everything
with which the people are not fully satisfied.
He declared that municipal ownership was
tried first in Glasgow and other British
cities because health conditions, and these
alone, demanded it, and said hat the public
ownership Of lighting facilities, OF work.
houses, &c, was the result of necessities
of which We happily have no personal
knowledge in this country
Mr.. Burdett asserted that a higher type
of civil service existed abroad than in
American , cities gi ana in and Fr nub Gss s pGieni
men thought 1t an honor. to sit IN town
councils. Then he had this TO say Of the
financial profit of he plan abroad;
Official returns FOR electric lighting
undert akin gs Of the kingdom Great BRITAIN
to December 81, 1904. show that less than
So per cent. of the 1872 municipal under
taking rs showed a profit which averaged only
about 81 900 for each undertaking.. while
OF per cent. of the sixty-six private enter
PEises .s shO OC 9 a Profit fn0 sdseas to more
sThe excess Of private telephones over
municipal telephones in Glasgow is 50 per
cent. in Hull, 225 per cent; in Brighton, 81
per cent; in Portsmouth, 80 per cent, and
In Swansea, 90 per cent.-an average excess
of more than 81 per cent. On December 81,
1906, the number of municipal telephones
in the five cities named was less than 10000,
while the number Of private telephones IN
the same areas was more thar 40;ooo-an
excess of lo2 per cent During the year
1905 the increase In municipal telephones
was III per cent, and in private telephones
% Der cent,
dThe 1--WE cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Manchester. Leeds and Birmingham m, COM
binsd have a smaller number of electric
than the single city OF Chicago, not
more than half as many as the city OF New
and barely more h the city OF
while their combined populations
are considerably in excess Of that OF New
York, about 1 900 900 more than that OF
Chicago and five times more than hat OF
AS to remedies for municipal ownership
a eitation Mr.. Burdett said corporations
must give over asking extortionate rates
and giving wretohed public service. He
said:
"The abuses Of great wealth must cease
or at least be greatly eliminated. Capital
must realize that it Is to public
In conclusion he advocated public super
vision and control Of private public service
corporations, which leaves the American
theory Of industrial freedom u~nharmed,'
and he cited the experience OF Massachu-
sets to show that this was feasible and