The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-10

win for the Dunno ring the political
patronage Of Chicago.
The experience OF British municipali-
ties had accentuated the truism that
the primary duty of a municipality Is
to regulate and not to trade. The
London County Council defeated all
application from private company to
supply electricity in bulk at much
| lower rate than that charged by the
municipal plants II the private COM
pany had been permitted to operate IT
would have wrecked all tho borough
plants by undertaking them. mus
the citizens of London are compelled
to pay higher price for electricity
because the boroughs have built cleo
trio plants.
Municipal trading has built up some
OF the greatest monopolies In Great
| Britain. The municipalities Will not
cannot, brook competition from private
companies. 1t is conceded that city
1 cannot compete with them In price
| so the municipality Is compelled to
| bar them all, and the citizens must
| perforce get their gas and electricity
/ from the municipal plants. This WORKS
| great hnrdships on manufacturers. IN
some cities they are protesting that the
rate they are forced TO pay the city
for their electrical power ls compel
ing them to reduce the wages OF their
employees They say they must do so
to meet the competition OF other manu-
| facturers who are not SO hampered.
DANGEROUS RINGS.
Municipal socialism has drawn the
employees Of English and Scotch cities
into rings that are moro dangerous
to the financial welfare of these muni-
cipalities than are the political ma
chimes in American cities, These rings
encourage extravaganza they orga-
nize for predatory raids on the ta'
funds. and they are generally success
full. In most of the English cities re-
form associations have been organized
for the purpose of protecting the tax
nnvers from the raids of these ci.y-
bred coyotes. Just as the wolves on
tho Western plains hunt In packs these
bands organize into unions and make
Joint attacks on the tax funds.
found many cities Where the rates
for gas and electricity have been re-
I duccd in recent years, and the service
IA improved by the municipality; also
: whore tho car-fares are lower and cleo
1 tricity has supplanted the old horse
l cars But failed to find one instance
where the price OF gas has been re-
duced in fifteen years as many cents
3 per thousand cubic feet ns 1t has beer
: n Los Angeles. Nor did find Il single
: municipality In all Europe maintaining
: a street-car system that Will compare
= favorably with that of my home city
:. NO ENTERPRISE.
: Government ownership OF railway
y on the continent of Europe has mad
. no better showing, The German an
r italian railways are poorly equipped
n the service Is generally unsatisfactory
!. The freight rates are higher than thos
a In the United States, and the rolling
a stock would not be tolerated on tn
4 alfalfa line in the West Frst-clas
t fares are equally as high as those a
i, home and the passenger Ia compeile
j. to pay express rates for all his bag
~ gage. Nothing is carried free
r. Railway enterprise on the continen
y Is n thing unknown There are n
L. pioneer lines opening up new country
s., as in the western part OF the Unite
= States. COMPARED with American de
y velopment. railroadng In Europe !
rs generally Anticipated and unsatlstac
tory,
N AS TO DIRECT IEGIsLATIoN.
~ Switzerland has no claim to the It'll
Y OF tho cradle of direct legislation, Th
- initiative and the referendum wer
20 made part of the Constitution OF Pc
! land ITO years ago, For 100 years tn
-, y state was dominated by direct leglsla
~ ton, At the end of that time ther
Is was no constitution and no Poland.
"a The initiative has been used bu
rt once In the Swiss Federal gevernmer
a in thirty years. Then 1t was to furtht
I'd Jew batting.
d. The referendum is used by the ol
IN position party to embarrass tho AZ
Of minstration: the country cantons va
consistently against any Eoyernme