The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-12-06


National Civic Federation Commission
Shows the imprsetieabiIity Of Sons
Municipal Ownership Theories.
An attempt has been made TO belit.
fle the full committee report Of the Ma
tional Civic federation because IL
DOESN'T settle ofYhand the entire Ques-
tion OF municipal ownership. Only
those whose knowledge Of the subject
and OF the personnel OF the commits
sion IL 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 1t Is
considered that the eighteen men who
united I'm this report represent the most
divergent views OH the question as n
whole II becomes evident that any
points upon which they concur after
their thorough investigation OF the sub
lect must be considered as settled be
yond ordinary question. II may not he
smiss. 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 IN monthly. has been filed with ac-
counts OF the successful operation OF
,,ll ptI in Art tfai
the writer's have deduced therefrom
the conclusion that similar results are
readily Obtaina BILE in this country. This
conclusion Is entirely ruled out by the
com missions report which, while not
committing itself on the question or
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 IL is not safe
to assume that any success which may
have been attained In England would
b likely TO follow I'm the United States.
Going further along the same line,
tho report indicates that the conditions.
both physical and political, differ 80
widely In our own cities that compari-
sons between them are likely 10 lead
investigators astray unless all points
Of difference nre given their full value.
Heretofore the simple argument has
been "Smithtown has made success
Of It's municipal plant. Why should
not Jonesvillef" This naive form Of
reasoning has won for municipal own
errhip the unthinking support OF thou
sands whose mental training has not
accustomed them to- look beneath the
surface. The report would he well
worth while II II succeeded Ia con
vincing any considerable part OF such
people that the subject Is far more
complex than they had supposed
Again, we are assured by the com
mission that prerequisites Of success
ful municipal operation are an abso
lute divorce Of politics from the man
aRement Of the plants and the adoption
Of thoroughgoing business methods, n
millcnniaI condition OF which there Is
no immediate prospect for most OF our
cities.
II has indeed been held that munici-
pal reform would result Immediately
from an increase N municipal rcspon'
siblity. The commission IL unanimous
In stating its belief that such y result
Is not TO be hoped for, and its conclu-
sion is borne out by the fact that nj
present the character OF the officials Of
our various cities bears no apparent
relation to the magnitude OF municipal
undertakings, except perhaps that as n
general rule II may be said that the
larger the field Of operations the stron
Ger h the grip OF the boss and the
greater the amount OF graft. The com
mission sets aside this particular po-
lltical theory with the statement. 1--WE
are unable to recommend municipal
ownership as a political panacea." in
other words. II concurs in the teach
ings Of the parable OF the talents that
unfaithfulness In few things doesn't
indicate a likelihood OF faithfulness In
more important things.
Taken as n whole the message OF the
commission 10 our cities Is: "Go slow
ly. Don't he swept or your feet by
de ma gogues or Missionaries. FOR the
risks are too serious 10 he lightly nm.
dertaken without full investiga ton"