The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-25


the earlier ones being on personal initia-
. tive. The official investigation, made
! at the request Of the American govern
! sment in 1905, and upon which the ar
I Sticle in question is founded, was con-
J Quoted by personal inquiry and confer,
] fence with officials and citizens in near
lily all Of the British cities Of inpor-
tance. It WAS supplemented by circu-
lars Of inquiry sent to more than 100
/ local authorities in Great Britain, and
the documentary reports from which
conclusions have been drawn are readily
accessible to all who may desire to
] consult them.
Results Of the Study. -:
What has already been accomplished
I'm Great Britain in the way Of munich
pal ownership is so important and wide,
spread that the problem, SO far as that
country Is concerned, may be. said to
have been solved The United States
sits up and takes notice because there
has been developed a strong municipal
ownership sentiment in Chicago, New
York, Seattle and various other Ameri
!. can cities, and because, further, the
81 average man here is likely to think
that this country is a pioneer so fal
B as that great question is concerned
But it is not.
4 The extent of municipal ownership
! thruout the British isles is so great as
60 have completely changed the char
acter Of municipal administration there
In all Britain there are $50 public
{ undertakings Of various sorts, includ
! ing water works, gas plants, electricity
! plants, street railway systems, ETC., anC
Of this number 1,777 are now owned by
. municipalities, and only 1893 by pri
8 vate corporations. The foregoing fig
4 ures were compiled in 1908, since which
time, DR.. Howe says, many electric I'm
: dertakings have been opened by loca
J authorities, while number Of stree
railway lines have passed from private
/ to public ownership.
The Public's Interest.
In Great Britain, within the past tel
years, public as opposed to private own
orally accepted as to water, gas, cleo
& trio lighting, street railways and mar
kets. Parliament itself, which has bee,
{ cautious Of it's grant of powers, nov
treats these industries as naturally pub
d lie ones, and in cases Of contest tn
. doubt is in favor Of the local authority
Active hostility to municipal owner
! ship is almost entirely confined to tn
big business interests which suffer thr1
I the loss Of franchise privileges. Gal
other classes accept municipal owner
ship says DR.. Howe, "much as Amer
4 lea accepts schools, libraries, parks
and water, fire and police service.'
ia While the principle Of municipal own
d ership is thus widely accepted by tn
] British people, it's application by tn
individual city is a question Of presen
4 expediency, Of the price to be paid, o
& the relationship of the private enter
ii prise already in the field to the commu
nifty.
What London Has Done.
d '*An analysis of the returns" say
= Or. Howe, "shows that London ha
3 municipalized water, the Thames steam
boat service and the surface tramways
The gas, subway and bus systems ar
i still in private hands. Out Of the TWEEN
e e ty-nine administrative areas Of Londo
endowed with certain municipal powers
fourteen have taken over the electricit
supply, while fifteen private companie
have granted franchises within tn
ID metropolitan area.
ttOutside Of London, the town o
neutrality-suspicious. the Newcastl
district, sBournemouth and Preston ar
3 the only local areas of any magnitud
1 supplied by private electric lightin
companies. Practically all Of the. larg
!. cities, with the exception Of Edinburgh
& Dublin and Coventry, both own an
+ operate their traction systems. She1
s field and Liverpool are among the fe,
large cities outside Of London whic
IS are supplied by private gas companies.
& What M. o. Means There.
Municipal ownership in Great Bri,
ain, it is interesting to observe, full
ther, has become an issue of muc
g greater magnitude than the @ownershi
of street railways, gas, electric light
ing and water service. These so-calle
natural monopolies have been very ger
6 orally taken over by the cities, and tn
general public has Endorsed such actor
Is and in notable instances called for NOR,
g In various places" says DR.. How,
&c municipal ownership has now come t
include municipal dwellings, doekl
markets, baths, race courses, oyste
{ fisheries, slaughter houses, milk depot
ss employment bureaus and sewage farm
s The city Of Brighton owns the locs
race course, from which it derives
revenue Of from $4,000 to, $4,000
year. Municipal theaters have bee
opened at Brighton and Southborougl
West Ham manufactures it's own pawn
stones and sells them to contractors 8
q profit. Colchester has municips
oyster bed. Manchester produces soa1
q oil, tallow and mortar as residuals fro1
d its gas and other industries. Man
cities supplying gas deal in stoves an
= gas fittings. Others, dealing in ele,
tricity, wire the houses and supply the1
with fittings. Southport and Bradfor
are advocating municipal tailoring e
Establishments to manufacture the un
forms OF town employees.
What Various Cities Do.
tin some of the northern district
OF Great Britain proposals have bee
advanced that the municipalities Shout
buy up coal mines for the supply 9