The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-07-29
CITY MILK DEPOT
LATEST ADVANCE
VIII Insure Purity and Do
Away With Poisoning
of Infants.
RAPID GROWTH OF THEsIDEA
Public Utilities in Increasing Number,
Including P0wer'and Rail-
roads.

LONDON. July 2S-London's mills
supply VIII soon be in the hands OF the
county council. Already the l}attersca
borough council. which governs a poor
and dcEsely populated district of Lon
don. has established depots for the'sUp-
ply Of stcrilized milk for babies.
The milk which Londoners have 10
drink is VIGOROUSLY inferior, and the
huge infant mortality I'm the poorer dis
tricts is directly attributable 10 the wa
tered and germ-laden stun that Is sold
10 poor people. The county council.
which directs so many admirable
schemes for the betterment OF LondOn's
poor. VIII probably organize a1sysrematic
control over the supply OF milk
The idea Extends.
Municipal ownership IN England ex-
tends To a great variety Of enterprises.
municipalities now own lodging houses,
locks, markets, baths. race. courses.
abattuirs. sewage farms. model tele-
ments and employment bureaus.
There are municipal cheaters al
Brighton and scarborough. West Han
manufactures paving stones and sells
them to contractors at a profit. Col
chester has a municipal oyster bed,
Manchester produces soap. oil. tallOw.
and mortar as by-pTOductss from its gas
and other industries.
Glasgow maintains an inebriates' hos
pital. Wolverhampton sells fee. Torquay
breeds rabbits and sheep, TNInbridge
3 Wells grows hops, Liverpool cultivaSea
beets. and Eattersea has municipal
orchestra
Municipal street cars and gas works
are matters OF course In mosti English
towns.
Electric Power, Too.
And London will soon be selling cleo
trio power for lighting. heating. etc. to
everybody in competition with the cleo
trio trust.
Municipal ownership is once again
amply justified as a sound business prin-
Ciple by the detailed financial history OF
the municipal suneet railways OF London
which has just been published by the
London county council
Since 1893 the CJurou has been gradIe-
ally acquiring the tramway systems OF
London. elecrtfy ing them and making
them pay a ppofit which has only been
diminished by increases Of pay and
shorter hours for the employees. The
only lines the council does not own and
operate are antiquated horse car lines
which no DOUBT will before long be-
come municipallzed and electrified.
The first year Of the councils control
resulted In a profit from the tramways
of nearly $4,000. The next year there
+ was a considerable drop in the prOfi
owing 70 the reforms introduced by IN,
council IN the treatment Of the tramWay
employees. shortening their hours OF
labor and increasing their wages. The
telectEihcation of the system turned the
profits into a loss in 1923 and I9O4-5, but
IN the next financial year the accounts
showed a profit of over $4,000.
The electric system IS now in full
working order. and the prOht on 1heICur
rent years working is estimated 20 bs
S255.OO0
Profit on TIamways.
The councils profit on its tramways
last year was TO per cent. compared
with IL per cent earned by a private
tramway company, and "A per cent by
the principal subway railroad company
Of London.
The council lEas fearlessly spent money
IN giving the people an efficient. fast
and adequate tramway system, manned
by a corps of employees who are con
tented and not overworked. and in re-
turn 1t is reaping substantial profits.
Dwellcrs tn North London. which Is
stiu served by private and Old-fashioned
tramway companies. with antiquateC
. horse cars, are hoping that the council