The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-10-14
AN ILLUMINATING REPORT.


National Civic Federation Commission
Shows tho Impraotioabiity Of Some
Municipal Ownership Theories.
An attempt has been made to BELT
de the full committee report OF the Ma
tional Civic federation because 1t
doesn't settle offhand the entire ques-
tlon of municipal ownership Only
those whose knowledge Of the subject
and of the personnel Of the commits
sion is most superficial expected any
other result than the one which has
been attained and which Is, these crit.
les to the contrary Notwithstanding, Of
the greatest Importance to those who
are striving to solve this economic
question on Its merits rather than to
get a snap decision favorable to their
particular point OF view. When II Ii
considered that the eighteen men who
united In this report represent the most
divergent views on the question as
whole 1t becomes evident that any
points upon which they concur after
their thorough investigation Of the sub
ject must be considered as settled be-
yond ordinary question. 1t may not be
amiss, therefore, to point out some OF
the more important Of these conclu-
sions with their bearings on the sub
ject as ordinarily presented.
The American press, daily, weekly
and monthly, has been filed with &C
counts Of the successful operation Of
public utilities in Great Britain, and
the writer's have deduced therefrom
the conclusion that similar results are
readily obtainable In this country. This
conclusion Is entirely ruled out by the
commissions report, which, while not
committing itself on the question Of
the success or failure Of British opera
ton, asserts that the conditions Of mu-
nicipal government In the two coun-
tries are 80 different that 1t Is not safe
to assume that any success which may
have been attained In England would
be likely to follow In the United States.
Going further along the same line.
the report indicates that the conditions.
both physical and political. differ 20
widely In our own cities that compari.
sons between them are likely to lead
investigators astray unless all points
Of difference are given their full value.
Heretofore the simple argument has
been: "Smithtown has made success
of Its municipal plant. Why should
not Jonesville?" This naive form Of
reasoning has won for municipal own
ership the unthinking support Of thou.
sands whose mental training has NOT
accustomed them to look beneath the
surface The report would be well
worth while II 1t succeeded In con-
vlncing any considerable part Of such
people that the subject Is fur more
complex than they had supposed.
Again, we are assured by the com
mission that prerequisites Of success
full municipal operation are an abso
lutte divorce Of politics from the man
agement Of the plants and the adoption
of thoroughgoing business methods,
mIllennial condition of which there b
no immediate prospect for most Of ouI
cities.
It has indeed been held that munici
pal reform would result Immediately
from an increase of municipal respcn
slbility. The commission IL unanlrnoui
In stating its belief that such result
Is not to be hoped for. and its conclu
sion is borne out by the fact that q
present the character Of the ofacials o.
our various cities bears no apparen
relation to the magnitude Of municipal
undertakings, except perhaps that a.
general rule 1t may be said that tn
larger the field Of operations the strcn
ger Is the grip Of the boss and tn
greater the amount Of graft. The com
mission sets aside this particular pa
lltical theory with the statement w
are unable to recommend municipa
ownership as political panacea." II
other words, It concurs In the teach
ings Of the parable Of the talents tina
unfaithfulness In a few things doesn'
Indicate a likelihood Of faithfulness .
more important things.
/ Taken as a whole, the message OF tn
commission to our cities IL: Go SLOW
| ". Don't be swept of your feet b
demagogues or Missionaries. for tn
risks are too serious to be lightly or
dertaken without full Investigation"