The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-08
EXPERTS REPORT
RESULT Of LABOR
Sukie-t OF Municipal Ownership
Is Exclusively Inquired
into fer Two Years.
LGE FOR, one AGAINST
FF-EENT VIEWS TAKEN BY
The INVESTIGATORS.

E1.,,. july After an investigation
o-tcICinE over nearly two years and em-
ieir- many OF the principal cities both
Of the United States and Great Britain,
ST.. national civic federation commission
"a public ownership and operation has
v-mplctuI its duties The important and
Ittcrczting reports on labor conditions are
The first to be made public. There are two
reports on this subject one OF Professor
John r. Commons, OF Wisconsin univer-
silly, and the other By J. ". Sullivan, edi-
tor OF the Clothing Trades Bulletin" OF
New York. The report OF Professor Com
mons under the title of Labor and Poll
lies, Is more favorable to municipal own
CTShlp of public utilities than is that of
dr Sullivan. made under the general
heading, The Labor Report" Mr.. Sulli-
van nakes caustic reference to political
rottenneSs evidence as to which he de-
clareS was conclusive in Syracuse, Ale
Bheny and Wheeling. Professor Commons
on the other hand, holds that corruption
Under municipal control was no greater
than under private ownership.
The commission has made a most ex-
haustiVe investigation on public and pTi-
Nate operation OF the four leading public
utilities. gas, water, electric lighting and
power and street railways. in all the cities
visited both in America and Great Brit
ain. Fifteen members of the inVestigat-
ing committee sailed for Europe on May p
last year anu returned 10 the united
states IN August. Among the cities Wis
tied abroad were Glasgow, Newcastle-on-
Tyne. London Liverpool. Norwich, Man
chester, birmingham, Dublin, Leicester
and Sheffield Investigations In the United
States We're made in Cleveland. Chicago,
Philadelphia, Wheeling. Detroit, Indian
Rpolis, Richmond, Atlanta. South Nor
walk, Syracuse, Allegheny, New Haven
and Hartford. A staff OF engineers. ac-
cOuntants and statisticians, numbering
over twenty of national reputation, We're
employed 10 examine thoroughly every
Undertaking visited by the committee.
Professor Commons Report.
These experts were so chosen, that in
zach examination made. both sides OF the
municipal ownership question were rep
resented Thus, one engineer, accountant
OF statistician, approached the subject I'M
der consideration faVOrably disposed to-
ward muniCipalizatiOn, while his col
league began his task holding views in
opposition to that principle.
In the course of his report Professor
Commons said:
L take it that the key to the whole
question of municipal or private owner
ship Is the question of politics. For poll
tics is simply the question of getting and
keeping the right kind OF men to manage
and operate the municipal undertakings,
or to supervise, regulate and bargain with
the private undertakings. The kinds of
business that We are dealing with are
essentially mOnOpOlleS performing a pub
lie service, and are compelled to make use
of the streets which are public property.
If their owners are private companies,
they are compelled to get their franchises
and all privileges of doing business, and
all terms and conditions Of service, from
the municipal authorities. And in carrying
out their contract with the municipality
they are dealing continually with munich
pal officials Consequently il is absurd
TO assume that private ownership Is nom
political 1t is just as much a political
question to get and keep honest or bust
ness-like municipal officials who will
drive good bargains with private COmpan-
that the bargains are lived up to- as it is
to get similar officials TO operate a mu-
nicipal plant. We do not escape politics
by resOrting to private OWnership-we
only get different kind Of practical poll
tics