The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-07-06
PUBLIC WORKS
A SUCCESS
What a Few British Cities
Are Doing
City Of Blackburn Made a Profit
Last Year of $lsO,OeO. The
List VIII Be Continued An.
other Day.

of men are the shrewdest, the
most ski11ful and the most
in the management of
their private businesses are most
careless as to ordinary business
in the conduct of their
public affairs.
That means us-the Americans
of North America.
In our private business we do
not let other men take our profits
away from US if we can help it.
In our public affairs we are per-
fectly willing that individuals
should reap the good things and
the fat profit that properly belong
to us as the community, says the
New York American. In Our pri-
vate business we should think our
selves crazy if we threw away a
dollar. In our public affairs we
throw away millions upon millions
every year and seem rather glad to
do it, even when it means bound
less discomfort and annoyance and
even physical suffering.
We hang upon straps and suffer
the vilest crowding in frightful
conveyances that we may have the
pleasure of contributing to the
fortunes of a few indivi-
duals when we might as well be
comfortable and at the same time
put the profits into the public
treasury.
In this singular preference we
are alone in the world. All other
people prefer comfort and the
prosperity of the public money
British, for instance.
In Great Britain the principle
of public ownership as opposed to
private profits continues to spread
year after year with very remark
able results.
Every year more British COM
munities take over their public
utilities and operate them for the
public benefit.
Gas, water and electric lighting
plants are public by owned almost
everywhere. The last two years
have seen notable additions to the
towns that own their street railroad
systems. Many places have gone
into other trading ventures.
Eastbourne has established a sys-
tenn of municipal motor omnibuses.
furnishing a service that has been
extremely satisfactory to the peo-
pie and has at the same time re-
turned an annual profit to the
town funds, although the invest
ment required was large for so small
"a town, Gloucester owns cattle and
poultry markets and public baths
as well as steel railroads, electric
light and water supply. Great Var
mouth operates a fish wharf and
many public anusements. Coven-
try has a sewage farm, public baths
and market hall. Burnley owns
its gas works, waIerworks, electric
works, has lately taken over IFS
railroad system and now has gone
into cold storage warehousing and
selling sterillized milk. From all
| its enterprises except milk it makes
money, SO that from these sources
it has reduced taxation a shilling
in the pound. Brighton has taker
over an aquarium as bushes:
enterprise and has gone heavily
into house building. 1t owns it:
steel railroads, waterworks, elec.
tricity supply and many Other
things. Birkenhead owns its gas
water and electricity supplies, ar
street railroads. Blackburn reduces
its taxation a shilling in the pound
every year by municipal enterpri
ses that were formerly in private
hazds. 1t has municipal plan
for furnishing sea water for baths
in hotels and private houses. L
made last year close upon $50, cot
of net profits on all its undertake
ings. Bournemouth has municipal