The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-04-05

terprlScs, results III an enormous
pauper population to be cared for in
turn by those who pay the taxes. All
of the colonies have been forced to
adopt old age pensions, and in the
different colonies from Il third to Il
half Of the population over sixty
five years Of ayc receive government
support.
Supporters of government owner
ship in Australasia claim that it is
profitable. but their public debts and
taxes 90 on increasing and an rXami-
nation Of their bookkeeping methods
show that "profitS' are often the
result Of including proceeds Of the
sales of public land, timber and
property Of other KINDS which should
be credited to capital and not to pro-
fits. while expenditures for maintcn-
ancc which should be charged to rev.
cnucs are charged to capital. A final
show down will have to come when
convertible assets run out and when
new capital refuses to come in. That
day may not be far distant as some
of the states have already about
reached the end of their borrowing
power In the British cities that
have embarked on municipal owner
ship the same results arc being
brought about. Municipal indebt-
edness is increasing very rapidly and
profits on municipal business enter
prlscs are shown only by the manipu-
latlon OF accounts, by nc"lccting to
make proper allowances for dcprc-
citation, and by charging expenditure
cs for the benefit of these enterprise
es to the general municipal funds.
The British people are finding out
that business is more or less spccu-
lative and that when the government
begins to speculate with the money
Of the tax payers the result is gen
orally disastrous.
Another claim on behalf Of gov
ernment ownership and operation
that will not bear close examination
is that it results in greater efficiency
OF service. The street railway sys-
TEN of Glasgow is usually pointed to
as model Of an efficiently managed
public enterprise. There is not an
American city of the same size that
would be content with such street
i railway service as exists in Glasgow.
In order to make both ends meet the
municipality is compelled TO conlinc
its service to the territory in which
it can depend upon heavy traffic.
The municipal lines have not been
extended into the suburbs and only
those wealthy enough to afford pri-
vatc convcyancrS are able TO live in
thr suburbs. Instead Of carrying
passengers Ion" distances for sin
Gle uniform rate Of fare the GlaS-
%Gw lines charge in proportion TO
distance. The result is that the
! poorer classes are conycStcd in the
central part Of the city and very
large proportion Of the total popu-
latiOn is housed in tcncmcnts with
an average Of three Of four persons
! for each room. AS result sickness
is increased and the death rate is
very high.
II is the uniform experience Of
British cities that municipal enter
priscS are behind the times. Cities
with horse car lines were reluctant
to sacrifice the capital invested and
change to cable. When they chang
ed to cable they were equally rcluc-
tant to change TO electricity and in
many municipalities horse ears and
cable ears are still running. When
a British municipality has embarked
in the gas business il wants to pre-
serve a monopoly Of the lighting
within its territory and is slow to go
into the electric light and power bus
mess itself or to permit private en-
tcrDriSc to do so. As result Great
Britain is behind The world in the
development and use of electric light
and power and there arc British
cities with poulations Of one hun
drcd thousand or more without clcc-
tric light plants. One Of the effects
nf this is that Great Britain is be-
hind other countries in the manufac-
ture Of electrical machinery and ap-
plianccs of all kinds.
\ very important matter to be