The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-10

N-HE 'A NNtA' AANNAN 80 n NAAANAA'L a. EaA
a union man into "a soft berth and secure
81 Convenient rakeon is apparently the
main object OF Crooks and hls
BY juggling with the accounts Of a mu-
3 mcipality they make some Of the enter-
ptises appear TO be paying the cities a
profit. This Juggling became three years
agO a common scandal PARLIAMENT ap-
pointed "A special committee 10 invcsti-
gate. and this committee reported. re-
of audit be discontinued"
This was Crooks's system.
Ask an Eng ish taxpayer whether mu-
nicipal ownership has been "a success Ia
Great Britain, ana he Is very likely TO
Yes. for Bill Crooks and his gang: but
7 II Is tough ON the r~atepayers."
Ihe committee appointed by the House
OF commons 20 report on municipal trad
ing found IL Impossible TO get at the real
condition of the municipal ownership en-
icrpt1ses on account OF the "doctored'
lNt committee reported back 10 Parlia-
meut. recommending that the existing
system or audits. applicable 20 corpora
u'us county councils ana urban district
councils IN England and Wales. be abol-
After outlining a system of audits that
would tske The supervision on I've az
counts at least partially out OF the hands
ing. iihe that formed by Crooks and
his walking delegates. the commfttee
concluded with the following significant
rec mmcndauon:
The committee are OF opinion that 81
"outQ be advisable TO continue inNcstign-
ton into other branches OF the subject
-, municipal trading in "a future session
OF me Parliament
This report was made in July. 1919. II
ls q matter or history that. although tho
Conservative have attan,-fea az $50
session Of Parliament held since To- have
sucn a. committee appointed the onoo-
euion has been so strong and so sus-
t1iurd that such appointment has never
been made. Crooks and his rinr Lavo Ia
inc opposition. The sf~enographIr report
on tho evidence token in tho sittiugs OF
thls committao contains the strongest ar
raienment Of municipal trading In Great
h.l'7ln that has Vet been made
Had such n report been printed Doe. or-
do~ az tho Congress Of the 1-nifod e.otrs
anecuns any American onter~rl~o. II
tion that would have swami, m,,ni.ir%
traain~ for az least n rcrornffon COM
uarafivolv row cvt~acta r~o-, ~ vyore .,h
.is.od hv ~" Fn~i'sh press. ana there
VIZ" no comments
Tn n fntur" article r shall devote some
snaco 70 eNt~acts from this renort. show
frg t"o actual coudt tior- fn some rntirf-
ciraltios tha. own arf oper9fe Gas ava
electric plants and street raiiwav svs-
Toms
TIE UNIONS IN Politics
ono slanfacsut f..t lr,,,fD, .-. -
report Is that city employee IN Grtat
uaionizoo. ard that they take nam "a -
tae force thst is continually w"rkioe sfo@
more municipal ownership schemes. il
ho.4 ga the throat 0f "a munictpaltv.
ID London alone 1900 voters are i'm the
employ 0. LIa CITY. AS the Ee-.r.r. n.Nf
brings out Only about 1900 voters. m
Isl cosy tp understand why London indus
tFy Is throtted BY an ever increasing bur
aeR municipal ownership schemes.
London County Council paid a year aud
naif egg &,"p.on a. establish "a steam
system Toy condemnation Out OF tho hands
OK private capital. During The year and
nl tne council has lost $4,000 IN OPP
'',0- we noats and it has lust voted
-"| WIZ eau ANHFI ALH UINN NN
oc,ooo, The s2.oo.ooo IS being paid for
~ .o"o- on n,ne payments. but the 500
of t-. taN fund. 10 haze hclnod 10 make
d higher rate.
d-g % t"e HrSt tme ln 500 years Lon
s, On the Thames.
.u7, WORD as to the practical
~ municipal trading IN Great
tiltfin. ] nave examined carefully the
o.. 1.t.t y ol t'e aud'tors Of more than
iaet ;;oar mrndsinaAtes on the result or
"9Tks ana sd, electric lishti9E plants.
I'm nrivata con~arfes 49, Wnere-
rlv r4s or electric iivh+ ~ r,r~os
tra r,tr 49, IMAM we price ~
wore darf.5 ''IF case ther
ties VIII brook mol r.,rr.~o-, ''''ipti-
"pNOFOLA.
"' Eneapti ltfes and extended
by private companies have proved
".th ~ pi'Ak through the tramway
u-+ "a HuiHuef OF cities Do Great
go" H"EH refused 90 permit motor
lug rA9 nos M olr city for Seeing
80 10 Use lnc streets. for the
eersF3 e"" "oula tend e. reduce tine
."e Uahi"ays owned by the
guy ah electric light service. IL is not TO
4it in private houses. IN stores or
$40 ,he reason IS that the
'"'S II gas niaht and the Council
'"t u would lose money on its
tiiclty.