The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-07-16
M ARTHUR WILLIAMS,

By ARTHUR WILLARD
President National Electric Light associa-
ton.
Some things are 50 essentially vi
governmental nature that 1t would DC
fotuous to consider them from the
stondpoint of private ownership.
Among these are the collection OF Gus
toms. the maintenance and direction or
the army and navy and the police pow
or In others it Is the end rather IMAM
tho means that should be sought, ana
municipal and private ownership are
often on equal terms without the VIOLA
ton Of any economic principle.
The maintenance of public highways
and sewers Is usually public rune
ton, but the country abounds III eAalh
ples. every whit as satisfactory, OF prl
yate ownership and operation. with
water the Importance to the commune
ty lies not in It's ownership, whether
public or private, but rather In It's quar-
ity, quantity and price. Many OF 'he
most satisfactory watcrworks or tills
country and Europe are owned pri-
vately.
Beyond these there is Il class OF pup
lie utilities which experience has SHOWN
should lie exclusively within the domain
of private enterprise The telegraph tel
ephone, Transformation, gas and electric
lipht undertakings offer examples Inc
ownership of these by the community
IS advocated by some on the ground
that they are necessities OF modern
life. by others because they partake OF
the nature of monopoly. 1t does not
oppear that either is II sufficient rea-
son. These are facilities and conven
fences. not necessities. The latter con
sist of simple dwellings, food, ralmeht
and means of warmth in winter. III
orr necessities are to be munlclpallZeu,
we should begin with the butcher, gro
Ger baker and coal dealer, whose per
centage of profits far exceeds mat OF
any Of the corporations in the 50 called
public service.
Monopoly regulated monopoly Is
not necessarily opposed to the puDllc
interest. 1t is advantageous to all To
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
it 1.il
and improved quality in the service.
A franchise merely permits public
service corporation to share with 9th
ers the use Of the streets for the de
livery to It's customers of the cOmmod
ity it supplies-a right that is enjoy
ed by every other industry. The diff
ference is merely one of method. Were
electricity delivered in storage bat
teries and gas in tankS-conceivable
ways-no franchise would be required.
Instead of using horses and wagons,
which bloch AIDE the streets and make
street cleaning n 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 confiScation
of public property. Yet the public has
not parted with its title to the streets
nor its right to occupy them for any
purpose or in any manner it may de
sire. 1t has simply permitted serv
ice company to become tenant for
which. In the form of franchise and
other taxes. the company pays high
rent. Substantially the city is the
landlord, possessing the power of arbi
trarly determining, in the form of
these taxes. what rent it shall receive
And this rent lessons proportionately
the individual taxation.-Moody's Mag
aZine.