The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-16
PUBLIC ownership
IN united States
Reports Of Experts Acting
For National Civic
Commission.
NEW HAVEN WATER co.
Among the Many Private
Public Corporations
Examined.


New York, July 15.-The experts act
ing for the National Civic Federation
Municipal Ownership Commission have
completed their reports, and a critical
review of the results of their examin-
atoms in the United States was made
public to-day by the commission. This
review is by a committee Of four ap-
pointed by the commission. Two Of
the writer's, Walton Clark, vice-presi-
dent of the United Gas Improvement
company of Philadelphia, and Charles
L. Edgar, president Of the Edison
Electric and Illuminating company Of
Boston, criticise severely the municipal
plants examined, while two other
writer's, Prof Frank Parsons of Bos-
ton, president of the National Owner
ship League, and Edward W. Bemis,
superintendent of the Cleveland, Ohio,
water works, find much to favor in
municipal plants which were lnvesti-
gated. Separate reviews of British
multiplication will be made public
later.
Messrs. Clark and Edgar concur in
the statement that the inquiry of the
committee, both from the standpoint
of British and American experience,
mere especially the latter, has shown
that where municipal ownership has
been removed from the realm Of philo-
sophie discussion and put to + test
of actual experience 1t has failed in
gloriously." The belief is expressed
by these gentlemen that the flew en-
thusiasts' who still advocate munich
pal ownership "will soon be convinced
by the logic of events, and turning
their engines to other things will
through them realize their ambitions
of usefulness to their fellows" Profess
scr Parsons and Mr.. Bemis on the 9TH
er hand, take most hopeful view as
to multiplication, declaring that the
failures of municipal ownership are in
significant compared to the failures of
private ownership, either In number or
Importance. 1T is not public owner
ship but private ownership" Profess
Eor Parsons says that Is responsible
for our periodic crises and the ruin OF
our industries" As to the fitness Of
affairs, many Of them, he says, have
clearly proved their fitness, and the
i rest can be made At. "1t Is not impos-
sible," he adds, 'that the elimination of
the public service corporation through
public ownership is one Of the things
s that would do more to help along the
process of making our cities fit" Mr..
+ Bemis believes that the greatest rea-
son for the strength of the municipal
s ownership movement lies In the rela-
81 tons of the public service corporations
with the State and local governments,
which relations he declares are de-
structive of political purity, democracy
4 and free institutions. In this same
connection Mr.. Edgar and Mr.. Clark
take the view that the evil Of building
up political machines with city em-
ployes as basis exists now to a de-
{ gree in American municipalities AMI
that the disastrous effects would be
much greater If the many gas, electri-
cal and street railway emp Dyes were
added to the present number of city
officeholders. Professor Parsons OK
presses the conviction that municipal
ownership would develop higher
class Of municipal administrators. He
denies that public ownership would
destroy individual initiative. and seys
that "a Gladstone or Roosevelt can
s find as much room for individual initi-
alive in the service of the people as
the president Of street railway or
lighting system can find in the service
: of his company"