The Republican., 1907-01-24

0AiSSl vars OF Us @-!S -tGS-rIC
Lishting-True Natur, o. q Public
Franchise.
BY ARTHUR VIII -r,
President National Electro =: ;,5socia-
ton.
Some things are so c-s,-'' " of a
governmental nature that it sr3sld be
fatuous to consider them from the
standpoint of private ownership
Among these are the collection Of Gus
toms, the maintenance and direction of
the army and navy and the police pow
er. In others it is the end rather than
the means that should be sought. and
municipal and private ownership are
often on equal terms without the viola
tion of any economic principle.
The maintenance of public highways
and sewers is usually Il public func
ton, but the country abounds in exam
pies. every whit rs satisfactory, of pri
vate ownership and operation. With
water the Importance to the communi
T. lies not in its ownership whether
public or private but rather in its qual-
ity, quantity and price. Many Of the
most satisfactory waterw0rks Of this
country and Europe are owned pri
valely
Beyond these there is class oc pub
lie utilities which experience as Shown
should lie exclusively within the domain
Of private enterprise The telegraph tel
.,r,,,,, t,.,r,.,,1,,. , nv. s.-.. %.
light undertakings Offer examples Thr
ownership Of these by the community
is advocated by some Oh the groHul
That thoy are necessities OF moder.
lie. ,y others because they par,akc o.
the nature Of monopoly. II does no.
appear th3t either is Il sufficient Iea
SON IhoS' are facilities and c1nvru
fences. not necessities. The latter c5u
sst Of simple dwellings. fool, raimel
and means OF warmth in winter. f.
our necessities are 70 be munici0ai,.ei.
we should Io1in with the butcher .,ro-
Ger. baker and coal dealer. who lrg
centage Of profits far exceeds that O.
| any Of the corporations in the 50 called
public service.
Monopoly regulated monopoly - is
not necessarily opposed t) the public
interest 1t IS advantageous to all to
have one telephone system. ,h0t from
one point all may lie conveniently
reached; to have ono street ear syS
TEN with universal transfers, making
unnecessary any relation between ones
/ home and place of wo"b; to have .
single gas or electric light works, pre-
venting the waste of small plants and
organizations and securing by the lar
ger Development increased reliability
and improved quality in the service.
\ franchise merely permits a public
! service corporation to share with 9th
ers the use Of the streets for the de
livery. 10 its customers Of the cOmmOd
ity it supplieS-a right that is enjoy
ed by every other industry. The diff
! ference is merely one of method. We're
electricity delivered in storage bat
teries ""Tnd gas in tanks-conccivablc
ways-no franchise would be required
Instead OF using horses and wagons.
which blockade the streets and make
street cleaning a problem. deliveries
are made beneath the surface without
dirt. noise or other Objectionable fea-
tureS
II is through the exercise of this
right that we hear of the confiscation
Of public property. Yet the public has
not parted with its title to the streets
nor its right to occupy them for any
purpose or in any manner it may de
sire. 1t has simply permitted serv-
ice company to become a tenant. for
which, in the form Of franchise and
| other taxes, the company pays a high
rent. Substantially the city is the
landlord, possessing the power of arbi-
trarily determining. in the form of
these taxes. what rent it shall receive
And this rent lessons proportionately
the individual taxation Moody's Mag
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