Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-02-27
~ ARTHUR WILLIAMS.

~ ARTHUR WILLIAMS.
President Sattunal Electric LAghe asssesa.
ton
SINE things are 80 essentially IF l.
governmental nature that il wouL, b..
fatnons TO consider them from LIE
standpoint Of private ownership
Among these are the collection Of rus
toms. the maintenance aud dirextlau of
the army and navy and the pollee ,nw
er. In Others II Is the end rather than
the means that should lie sought. an.l
municipal and private ownership arr
often ON equal terms without the ylola
ton Of any economic principle.
The maintenance Of public highway
and sewers Is usually a public funt
ton. but the country alsOunds In exam
pies. every whit rs satisfactory. of prl
waite ownership aud operation. With
water the Importance 10 the connmuui
~ lies not In IT. ownership. whether
public or private. but rather In its quail
ity. quantity aud price. Many of the
most satisfactory waterworks OF this
country and Europe are owned pri.
vately.
Beyond these there In n class Of pub,
lie utilities which experience has shown
should lie exclusively within the domain
Of private enterprise. The telegraph. tel
ephone. transportation. gas and electric
light undertakings offer examples. The
ownership OF these by the community
il advocated by some on the ground
that they are necessities of modern
life, by others because they partake OF
the nature Of monopoly. II does not
appear that either IL a sufficient rea'
son. These are facilities and conven
fences. not necessities. The latter con.
sist of simple dwellings. food. ralunent
and means OF warmth In winter. If
q necessities are to be municiralizei.
we should begin with the butcher. gro
Ger, baker and coal dealer. whose per
centage OF profits far exceeds that OF
any of the corporations In the SO called
public service.
Monopoly regulated monopoly Is
not necessarily opposed to the public
interest. 1t Is advantageous to all to
have one telephone system, that from
one point all may be conveniently
reached; to have one street car sys'
TEN with universal transfers. making
unnecessary any relation between ones
home and place of work: TO have q
single gas or electric light works. pre-
venting the waste of small plants and
organizations and securing by the lar
ger development increased reliability
and improved quality In the service.
A franchise merely permits n public
service corporation to share with 9th
ers the use Of the streets for the de
livery to its customers Of the commod
ity 1t supplies-a right that Is enjoy
ed by every other industry. The diff
ference is merely one of method. Were
electricity delivered In storage hat
terles and gas In tanks-conceiyable
ways-no franchise would be required.
Instead of using horses and wagons.
which blockade the streets and make
street cleaning a problem. deliveries
are made beneath the surface without
dirt. noise or other Objectionable fea-
lures.
1t Is through the exercise of this
right that we hear Of the confisration
Of public property. Yet the public has
not parted with Its title to the street,
nor Its right to occupy them for any
purpose or In any 1t may de,
sire. 1t has simply permitted n serv'
ice company to become a tenant. for
which, in the form of franchise and
other taxes. the company pays a high
rent. Substantially the city is the
landlord. possessing the power of arbi'
trarily determining. In the form OF
these taxes. what rent it shall receive
And this rent lessons proportionately
the individual taxation.-Moody's Mag
azine.