Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-08
CIVIC. FEDERATI0
INVESTIGATES
MI |C|PAL
OWNERSHIP
Continued Eron Paa 3 Column -

AAA hAA8 fHfE
a picked man. and second. hat this
class of labor is capable of exertine
on city councils q combined pressure
which obtains for them better terms
than the employing councillors ACCORD
to the men they hire in their private
capacity for similar work. y street
car undertaking in Great britain h2;'
aver been a private enterprise in the
sense i'm which the word is applied in
this country says Mr.. sullivan. "fte
twenty-0ne years term Of the fran
chise. the veto of company petitions
by village authorities, the enormous
cost Of parliamentary powers and l0-
cal assonts. and various other re-
stricti1ns n-on-existent in he United
states, shackIe and impoverlsh British
tramNaY company management and
consequently forbid an intelligent in
vestigatCr to employ British example
to illustrate possibilities in Amer ca
through change from private to mu-
nicipal ownership. British tramways
have always been semi-municipal. As
by the terms of thor franchises all
English tramWaY undertakings MAY
he taken over by thf municipalities.
directors manage their properties Wi h
that end I'm view. Compared with the
remarkable changes for the better in
wages and hours in the American
street car industry under companies.
the best OF The British municipal Ia
Dor improvements seem hardly more
than trivial"
Conditions in British Municipalities.
Little attention has been given IN
the report to The class Of British mu-
nicipali2ers who would carry muniol-
nal ownership into fields wherever
they imagine promise of a speedy
remedy for civic abuses or economic
betlerment for the masses. IF any
of the utopian schemes Of these mu-
nicipalizers had still bid fair to be
fulfilled the report continues, inc
facts would have been given passing
recognition and the hopefuI outlook
touched upon. Rather are there indi-
cations tina the tide I'm practical mt
LIBERALIZATION is turned. Where adj
voaates once looked for a constant eN-
panieon. this has been arrested by dis
illusion. Government ownership Of
undertakings Of electricity ana light
railways covering supra-municipal
areas may be called for, but there the
practical political leaders show a dis
uosition to halt. with regard to mu-
nicipal lodgings, steamboats, n mis-
c|eIlaneous supplies. there hos been
reaction. Platform demands may be
more numerous than ever with eX-
tremely radical theorists who have
gone against the radical sentiment
and appropriations from councils
parliament are commonly expected 10
cease or follow slowly.
In America The m~uniclpal.zed on
terprises visited by our labor inNesti-
gators hayh been rich mines for sig
nif,cant facts relating to politics gath
err than to labor. These facts are rot
usually among those heretofore em-
phasiZcd By the American advocates
or mUnieipai ownership. The ieSti-
mony as - political r3ttnnness. root
and branch. in Syracuse, Allegheny
and Wheeling IL conclusive. n mu-
nicipal plants examined in these cities.
il Is to be remembered. were selected
as models by representative munici-
ucIi2ers Of the commission. Nor Is
he politico-llbor situation in De-
4roit. Cleveland, Chicago or Richmond
~ all settled as we'll as it might he.
In Cleveland. the present mayor IN
the beginning increased his reform
forces in the public water department
so as to strengthen his vote in the
prinnaries-an act possible al All
times also under the next ana sue
ceeding administrations, which may
be bad where the present is good.
ne ntElAE III tAA ~ ~ 49,
urcsent administration is attributable
10 the officials and the public senti-
mont aroused. and not 70 muuictpGli-
zation. In Chicago. where civil ser
vice is |ironclad, the appointment 10y /
The mayor Of department heads n
oxen Of the civil service commission !
itself. has more than once proved a
vulnerable point i'm the civic drmor.
with sad results. In Detroit. CleNe-
land or Chicago, the stability or the
municipally operated enterprises rests
largely on the mayor. who. however. /
personally cstimable and statesman
Ike. necessarily becomes as a candi-
date a relatively good or bad politi-
clan. representing for a brief term n
policy that may change with his sue
ressor. Il is plain that in this po-
iiUlcal situation the resultant labor
pfoblcm ~ most difficult. An emptu}e
only hold office in uncertainty,
with its consequent evils. This form
81 disauiet Is ut'usual in private en-
As TO Richmond, its
of black men suggests a burn
ing race question indeed, north and
south, were municipalization generally
adopted and ~RiNnmOnd's example IN
respect followed.
ANY advantage in wages or hours
10 be figured out for the municipal
enterprises Investigated in America
the private ones compared with
ihem look much like stale illustra-
Of the soft berths To be found
In public employment. To what eN-
tent The Jobs are political for the em-
ployes. single or collectively, or a bid
the labor vote il constantly a
A correct view takes In
these points: Syracuse. the wages fit
uailon politically deDauched: Wheel
the same Allegheny the sames
to an extent that when a difference
n 50 10 100 per cent IN favor af mu-
LIBERALIZATION is sobeFly computed by
man 10 makes another laugh, De-
troit. private and municipal plants
bat a shade difference: Cleveland
nine hours municipal rs against ten
In the general labor market. wages
me same: Chicago firemen in the fire
department. do NOT receive union
rates. New Haven. no municipal IN
hours. eight public depart
a. against nine water works;
Philadelphia. United Gas Improve
nenf company. better wages ana
than any city department, n
. reduction from twelve-nour shifts
lnder municipal operation to eight
Under the company, with higher
Further points 10 be kept IN
With the companies mentioned
it,. ....m - nHa ran nNnHa- & l.