The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-08-04
TWO REPORTS ON
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP.
nv COMMITTEE or NATIONAL
CIVIC FEDERATloN--MAJoR
lTY REPORT OPPOSES MUNl
EQUALIZATION BUT FAvORs
REGULATIONS.

cipal Ownership Investigation Com.
mitlee Of the National Civic Fedora.
ton will publish majority repsrt
and a minority report. The majority
report is signed by each member 81
the committee present at the meet.
Ing at which II was adopted. except
| Walton Clark, president Of Franklin
Institute, of Pennsylvania, and vice
president of the United Gas Improve.
ment company, of Philadelphia, who
presented minority report.
In statement and suggestion the
! maj rity report consists mainly of re.
concentrations of various details Of
a system of control Of public service
corporations, and of warnings against
the difficulties and dangers attend.
ing municipal ownership, which 1t
does not, in set terms condemn or
commend
The following paragraphs are the
product of an effort to properly an
alyze the majority report:
The opening paragraphs of the re.
port contain a statement of the pro
cedure of the committee thanks to
the people in charge of the public
Utilities investigated and reasons for
the failure to give a positive answer
TO the question at issue
The first statement having a di-
rect bearing on the main question Is
to the effect that municipal plants
have had struggle to exist in the
face Of unsympathetic public opinion"
This statement that these municipal
plants have had to struggle for cor
tinued existence because of an III ;.
sympathetic public opinion appears
to condemn municipal ownership.
if condemnation may come from those
most Immediately affected by NUM-
ipalization-the citizens of the towns
in which it has been tried
The report next suggests that PEG
pie must not judge between the ef
fects of municipal and company opera
ton in Great Britain without taking
Into consideration the fact that the
are unnecessarily handicap
ped by the short terms of the fran
chises granted them the mnnicipali
ties having necessarily the advantage
Of nerpetual rights
The majority report also says al
lowance must be made for difference
in social and political conditions, when
arguing from the results of municip
alization in Great Britain to what
night be expected in this country.
rhe exact language Of the report is as
ollows:
In other words, measure OF sue |
,ess in the municipal management Of |
public utilities in England should not
&c regarded as necessarily indicating
hat the municipal management Of
he same utilities in this country
would be followed by a like meas
re of success"
The majority report condemns com
edition in the supply of public serv
&c, and states that the question is
5hether it Is better for the public to
perate or to regulate public sery-
&c industries as monopolies.
The report records the opinion of
he majority, that undertakings in
hitch the sanitary motive largely en-
ars"--meaning water works and
ewers should. as concerning the
ealth cf the citizens, be operated by
he public A careful reading of what
I its Investigations into the water
-orks in the United States has been
rinted by the committee, leads inev-
ably to the conclusion that this opin-
N Of the majority is the expression
f It's belief that water supply has to
D with the police powres of the NUM-
pa,ity and therefore should not be
# to private enterprise, or regarded
a legitimate field for money max.
e ventures
The majority report next states.
There are no particular reasons why \
e financial results from private or
lblic operations shogld be different
the conditions are the same" AS
,nditions are fundamentally differ
It. this statement of the majority L
,pcars innoslous whether viewed
ON the standpoint of the municipal
er or from that of the anti-mupi.
palizer.
The report. which, mp to this point. Z
,ntains no approval of municipal Z
ynershlp Of any industry. except :
ater supply. next classifies certain
rvices that should not. in any event :
undertaken by a city. and states
at NJ municipal ownership should
undertaken solely for profit.
The report next recommends that
be given the right to
Ter into municipal ownership upon
~ lar vote under reasonable regu-
ton" It recommends that NUM-
palities be given this right in order
at the public may he put IN a posi- p
IN 10 trade with companies seeking
lnchiscs. and contains the further
5temcnt that the provision il thus
commcnds will tend to prevent
rnicipal ownership.
The report then after recommend
2 regulation and profit sharing
kes mp the difficulties Of municipal
-uarghfu. stating certain condfii ions