Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-09
TACOMAN FAvORS
CONTRACT PLAN
SAYS AMERICANS SHOULD
LOOK ABROAD
Man with Wide Experience Talks of
Municipal ownership-Enelish
Cities Where People Are
In Revolt

George W. Butt of Tacoma. wash
ington, one Of the most prominent
residents of the northern city, was
standing In the corridor of the Alex
andria hotel yesterday talking to
group of friends.
Mr.. Bott has an unmistakable Eng
lish accent and one member of the
little company asked: "Mr. Bott, you
are an Engishman, are you not?"
mo, | am not" he replied II was
an Englishman before | got married"
How is that?'' continued his ques-
tioner. isn't it once an Englishman,
always an Englshman?"
Not according to my way of think
ing said Mr.. Bott. when man gets
his wife, his fortune, his best friends
and everything else ne has, i'm America,
it is time he forgot he ever had any
other country and sees just how good
an American he can be. ] live in
America and I take what America Of
fers to every man who is willing to be
worthy of it, therefore 1 am an Ameri-
can"
Then followed a discussion of things
American and English.
II have Travelled around the world
and / have seen something in England
that 1 hope we will always be able to
dispense with in America. We are
some of us anxious to copy England
and if we knew it we are much better
off with our methods of doing things.
"There is this municipal ownership
idea, for instance. I have been in
every country where that is tried. 1
have seen it in Manchester, Birming-
ham. Huddersfield, Newcastle and other
English cities, and it is just about as
bad as anything could be; but think
how much worse it would be in
America.
Favors Contract Plan
"In England only men with wealth
enter the council. They have really
all they need and they take the posi-
tions because they are positions of
honor. 1t is bad enough there, but it
is worse in the few cities where it has
been tried in America. Here a man
goes into Office for two years at $4,000
and he pays $4,000 to get the election.
He has to get even some way, and
municipal ownership offers about the
only chance.
IF 1 had my way the city would
not even own the horses that are used
in sweeping the streets / would have
everything done by contract. When
men are working for the city they make
it rule not to work. They think they
do not have to for they are political
"As long as there are politics and
short terms of office there should be no
municipal ownership. Ask man from
Glasgow what he thinks of municipal
ownership and you will get an opin-
ion which will sbe enough to satisfy
you without trying it for yourself.
THANK heaven, we have no NUM-
cipal ownership in Tacoma, except the
water system, which has been owned
hU nit 10 In CT :
That is enough of curse. The city
makes enough from that system to
run the government, and the citizens
have to bear the burden of it, We
have terribly high rates and the rich
man and the poor man alike have to
suffer from them.
"Once, during the campaign last
spring, it was suggested that the mu-
nicipal ownership mayor of Seattle
come over and talk to us about mu-
nicipal ownership, but fortunately he
lowed to die a harmless death.
Il think the whole idea is a delu-
sion. At home and abroad it has
proved a failure and it is even less
suited to the American form of gov
ernment than to the English govern
ment."
Mr.. Bott started in business in Ia
coma on small scale, but since then
he has amassed a comfortable fortune
by judicious buying of real estate. AT
present he owns several business blocks
and great deal of realty and is con-
sidered one of the most influential res
idents of the city.
He has retired from active business
life and is at present at the Alexandria
for few days on his way to Mexico,
where he is going for pleasure trip
with his wife.