Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-10
AN ILLUMINATING REPORT.
National Civic Federation Commission
Shows tho ImpraoticabiIity of Some
Municipal Ownership Theories.

Municipal Ownership Theories.
An attempt has been made TO belit-
tie the full committee report of the Ma
tional Civic federation because II
doesn't settle offhand the entire ques-
ton of municipal ownership. Only
those whose knowledge OF the subject
and of the personnel of the commits
sion is most superficial expected any
other result than the one which has
been attained and which is, these crit
les to the contrary Notwithstanding, Of
the greatest importance TO those who
are striving to solve this economic
question on its merits rather than to
get a snap decision favorable to their
particular point of view. When IL Is
considered that the eighteen men who
united In this report represent the most
divergent views on the question as a
whole 1t becomes evident that any
points upon which they concur after
their thorough investigation of the sub
ject must be considered as settled be-
yond ordinary question. II may not be
amiss, therefore, to point out some OF
the more important of these conclu-
sions with their bearings on the sub
ject as ordinarily presented.
The American press, daily, weekly
and monthly, has been filed with ac-
counts of the successful operation of
public utilities In Great Britain and
the writer's have deduced therefrom
the conclusion that similar results are
readily obtainable in this country. This
conclusion is entirely ruled out by the
commissions report, which, while not
committing itself on the question OF
the success or failure of British opera.
ton, asserts that the conditions of mu-
nicipal government in the two coun-
tries are so different that 1t is not safe
to assume that any success which may
have been attained in England would
be likely to follow In the United States.
Going further along the same line,
the report indicates that the conditions,
both physical and political, differ 50
widely In our own cities that compari-
sons between them are likely to lead
investigators astray unless all points
Of difference are given their full value.
Heretofore the simple argument has
been: "Smithtown has made a success
Of its municipal plant. Why should
not Jonesville" This naive form of
reasoning has won for municipal own.
ership the unthinking support of thou.
sands whose mental training has not
accustomed them to look beneath the
surface. The report would be well
worth while If it succeeded In con
vincing any considerable part of such
people that the subject is far more
complex than they had supposed.
Again, we are assured by the com.
mission that prerequisites of success
full municipal operation are an abso-
lutte divorce Of politics from the man
agement of the plants and the adoption
Of thoroughgoing business methods, a
millennial condition of which there is
no immediate prospect for most of our
cities.
1t has indeed been held that munich
pal reform would result Immediately
from an increase of municipal respon.
sibility. The commission is unanimous
In stating its belief that such result
is not to be hoped for, and its conclu-
sion is borne out by the fact that at
present the character of the officials of
our various cities bears no apparent
relation to the magnitude of municipal
undertakings, except perhaps that as
general rule 1t may be said that the
larger the field of operations the stron-
ger Is the grip of the boss and the
greater the amount of graft The com
mission sets aside this particular po
litical theory with the statement, I'VE
are unable to recommend municipal
ownership as a political panacea." In
other words, II concurs In the teach
ings Of the parable of the talents that
unfaithfulness in a few things doesn't
indicate a likelihood Of faithfulness in
more important things.
Taken as a whole, the message of the
commission to our cities Is: go slow
ly. Don't be swept off your feet by
demagogues or Missionaries, for the
risks are too serious to be lightly un-
dertaken without full investigation"