The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-07

electric companies declined to build new
lines or to improve and develop the old
| ones under such conditions.
| 1t was during the twenty years follow
ing the passage of this law that the
electrical. industry Jagged in Great Brit
ain andtthat millions Of British capital
went across the ocean to develop cleo
trical enterprises In America
Private companies were not willing to
electrize horse-car lines for the benefit
of the municipalities. nor were they will
Ing to make any marked improvements
in the service.
Taking advantage OF these facts, tho
Socialists followed their campaign by
advocating municipal control. 1t was the
natural outsrowth of the twenty
year law which they had lobbed through
Parliament The evil effects of this
ty-one-year franchise law became so
apparent. however. that even the, com
bnation oil Socialists and labor un!on-
lists could not keep 1t longer on the
statute books Parliament rose In It's
might and repealed the obnoxious law.
But during those twenty years scores
of railway lines and electric plants were
foisted on the British municipalities.
Glasgow received hers along with the
rests s. -
Glasgow has proved to the satisfaction
Of It's thinking citizens that munich
patty cannot conduct street railway
line or supply gas or electricity plant
as cheaply as can a private company.
1t has found that 1t l.: impossible to
(. secure councillors who will exercise the
same economy in transacting the city's
business that they apply to their own.
And 1t has demonstrated concluslvely
that city cannot go into the market
and buy material at as favorable prices
as can private corporation.
Two months ago Glasgow gave up it's
telephone service to avoid public scan
dial. For years it had operated its tele-
phones at a loss to the rate-payers. BY
unloading on the British government. 1t
transferred portion of this loss; but
it is generally conceded that Glasgow's
experiments in municipal telephones cost
the rate-payers 10000. ~ r
From private sources 4 have learned
that an offer is soon to be, made by d
private corporation to supply electricity
TO Glasgow consumers in bulk. 1t will
be chiefly for manufacturing enterprises.
The price at which this electricity Is
to be offered 10 about 10 per cont. less
than the minimum price at which the
city is supplying the product.
1t will he 10 per cent less than the
maximum price now charged by the city.
On this issue will come the real test OF
81 Inc nuHlClpHl So
cialists have had warning that the offer
isieomng. and they are preparing to fight
1t in Parliament: for it Is from ParIia
,ment, that the private corporation must
secure its franchise. This will be an at
tack at tho monopolisuc policy OF the
city corporation.
None of the municipal trading cities
will brook competition with private en-
terprise They admit that the city can
not compete successfully with private
companies. but they claim for the NUM-
cipalit!es that the workmen receive bet
ter wages and that the service Is on the
whole more satisfactory. The theory that
the product can be served cheaper by the
municipality was exploded several Fears
ago.
Two years ago the twenty eight
boroughs of the corporation of London de-
feated an attempt OF a private corpora
ton to secure franchise there to deliver
electricity In bulk at rate considerably
lower than that charged by the municipal
tiles. But the fight was not a popular
one, and the Socialists do not relish the
one that is Forthcoming from Glasgow.
HOW TO FOLLOW GLASGOW.
l71'have complied a list of the 'thh1gsithey
do differently in Glasgow for the benefit
of some of our people that they may know
the reforms that are necessary to place
Los Angeles on a Glasgow footing
Los Angeles must:
Remove the tenders from our street
cars.
Take off the dollar limit and permit
the Council TO fix the tax rate at it's own
sweet Will.
Discharge our Police Court justices and
have our Councilman take turns at serving |
as i'1dees in the Police Courts.
Forbid the street railway companies to
issue transfers to passengers.
Dispose of our patrol wagons and re-
quira policemen to trundle DRINKS and
others through the streets to the city
prison in wheelbarrows. 4
Remove the weapons from the police and |
reduce their salaries to S7.50ua week
Repeal the section of our charter that
limits our municipal bonded indebted
ness to s5,0Oo00o, exclusive OF water also
the section requiring that all bond issues |
shall be ratified by the people at spe-
clal election. and permit the Council to
regulate all these things.
Abolish our entire civil service scheme !
and permit the heads of departments to
employ and discharge men at will
compel the street railway companies to |
remove the air brakes from the cars /.
and to replace them with the old lever |
mandrake.
FORBID motornen to stop cars at street |
but require them to stop in
stead at certain marked stations in the
centre of blocks, on an average Of two
and half blocks apart.
Decline to grant franchises to companies |
seeking TO supply gas or electricity at
less than the existing price,
Set aside sum of $4,000 year to
pay for the entertainment by the Council
OF distinguished visitors and for junketine
trips to other cities and countries to get
pointers on the proper conduct Of munich |
pal trading enterprises.
Abolish our police commission and place |
the Issue of all saloon licenses under the |
direction of "a Council committee.
Repeal the law requiring the city to
redeem onefortieth OF its bonds each
year and permit the Council to invest
the interest and sinking fund in other
enterprises,
Maintain our present ward lines but
permit a resident Of, say the Sixth
Ward, to represent the Third Ward in
the Council.
Amend our laws so that councilmen
can appoint one of their own number
to lucrative positions under the city.
SECURE the passage OF an ordinances
that:
All contractors be compelled TO sign
a declaration that thew pay the labor
union rates of wages and. observe the
hours oflabor and conditions recognized
by the trade unions in the place or