The Cairo bulletin., 1907-07-29
CITY OWNERSHIP
BENEFIT OR N0T2.
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE DE.
clDES THAT CONDITIONS
DETERMINE.
CLEAN RULE NEEDED
unfavorable and Dishonest Admins
trations Prove Disastrous to
scheme-6ig Aid in
England.

New York, July % The final Ia
port OF the conclusions Of the Com
mittee on Investigation CT the Ma
tional Civic Federation Commission
on Public Ownership and Operation
was given TO the public today. This
committee, Of which Melville Il. III
gals, chairman board OF directors 0l
Big Four railroad, Is chairman, made
a thorough investigation of municipal
and private workings of gas. electric
l light water and street railway plants
both in the United States and Eng
land Ii IL worthy OF note hat of The
committeeman. all but one, Walton
! Clark, of Philadelphia. who presents
/ a separate paper giving his views
sign the report. Charles H. Edgar
Of Boston and w ], Clark of New
York, present statement Of minor
excoptionsa The committee Is I'M
usually representative in character
being made up of representatives OF
business interests, labor leaders, col
lege professors and journalists The
concl, sions reached give in detail the
opinions of the committee on all the
/ various questions connected with the
public ownership problem, and pre-
sent number of practical and i'm
! portant recommendation ON the sub
iect.
/ The report made public today b,
Nh Moffett. the secre airy, says;
1T is difficult to give positive an
swers OF universal application to tn.
questions arising as to the success.
or failure of municipal ownership a,
compared with private ownership
The local conditions affecting par.
ticular plants are in many cases 81
4 nacnlia. ia-. mako nesat tivfas.. u
comparison impossible, and II Is YER,
J difficult to estimate the allowance
that should be made for these loca
CONDITIONS. ..,....,
Further, he difficulty ofsreaclI.
ing satisfactory results by the com
paratlvc method Is not confined to
special or local conditions. II Is true,
as well. of much broaded questions
Thus any attempt to compare NUM-
cipal with private electric light plants
in the United States would be fruit
less If allowance were not made for
the fact that In most cases such mn
nicipal plants are confined TO street
lighting and may not do commercial
business. Allowance must be made
also for the fact that many municipal
plants have had a struggle TO exist
in the face of nnsympathetic public
oplnicn. Again, in England consid
Grafton must be given to the fac;
that the municipal electric light and
street railway plants have permanent
rights, while the rights of the pri
vate companies operating these par.
icular utilities are limited as TO the
length of their existence. many street
railway franchises expiring twenty
one years after they were granted.
There are some general principles
which we wish to present as practl-
caly the unanimous sentiment of our
committee.
First. we wish to emphasize the
fact that the public utilities studied
are so constituted that 1t is impos
sible for them TO be regulated by CON,
petition. Therefore, they mrst be
controlled and regulated by the gov
ernment; or they must be left TO do
as they please; or they must be oper
ated by the public. There is no other
course. None OF MS is in favor OF
leaving them TO their own will. ami
the question is whether II IS better 20
regulate or TO operate.
There are no particular reasons
why the financial results from pri-
vate or public operation should be
different il the conditions are the
same In each case it is a question
OF the proper man In charge Of the
business and OF local conditions.
eve are Of the opinion that a publis
utility which concerns the health Of
the citizens should not be left 10 in
dividusls. where the temptation Of
profit migst produce disastrors re
suits, and therefore 1t Is our judgment
that undertakings in which tse sanl
tary motive largely enters should be
operated by the public.
We have come 10 the conclusion
that municipal ownership Of public
utilities should not be extended 20
revenue producing industries which
do not involve The public health. the
public safety. public transportation.
o rthe permanent occupation ~ pub
lie streets or grounds. and ,hat muni
clpal operation should not De under
taken solely for profit.
we are also Of the opinion that all
future grants 10 private companies for
the construction and operation of pub
lie utilities should be terminable
after a certain fixed period. and that