Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-02-06
AIFxANnRf1 GAZETTE AND vIRGfNIA Adv EkTlsER
ALEXANDRIA 6azsffs.
WEDNESDAY EVENING. FEB. 6, 1857
A MENACE TO CITIES.

founded on the great public needs OF
the highly organized society of modern
times should be- controlled by society.
Whether. having the power. il Is ad-
yisable that municipalities should ac-
tually engage in such undertakings OF
whether they should merely MAINTAIN
their control, as il has been APPLY put,
through their powers As landlord, Is
q matter which will be determined Dy
the municipalities from political, social
and economic as well as engineering
considerations.
Considering the question from its en-
cheering side alone. II is found that
from the very essential nature or the
matter only certain class OF engineer
ing undertakings can he efficiently and
properly operated by states or munich
pallties. II is very important that TINS
limitation should Ice recognized, az
:where the limitation has been over
steoI.ed il has resulted in heavy finan-
cial losses 10 the governing bodies I'M
mediately concerned, it has seriously
checked development in engineering
lines. and these results have III conse-
ouence afforded strong argument 10
those opposed TO municipal operation
of public utilities.
II IS true that under state or munich
pal operation some minor and sporadic
deyelopments may be expected. Dut
nothing Of general or important char
acter important Developments gem
orally come only from the hands OF III
diyiduals or bodies responsible only 10
themselves aud provided with the III
Gently. Of a large profit The elimlna-
ton of self responsibility and incentive
would inevitably produce condition
in industrial and scientific develop
ment analogous to the dark ages.
II az TO he noted that this conclusion
Il derived from engineering considera-
tons alone and does not include any
consideration from the political, social
or economic side There may, 1t IS
conceivable. he political social and
economic considera tons which tend 10
affect this limitation. Considered, how
ever. from the engineering STANDPOINT
alone there can he no question but
that the field Of state and municipal
oneratlon should ne limited TO under
takjngs in which there is no immediate
nrospect OF or need FOR improved
method.
A danger which Is always assoclat-
ed with the ownership OF industrial;
undertakings is that the capital invest
ed may he lost through the develop
ment OF new and cheaper methods and
processes. The extent TO which indus
trial machinery of certain types is rem
dered obsolete by new Improvements
Is not always realized. The writer is
personally acquainted with one stree,
car railroad plant in which the entire
electrical equipment of the power
house was thrown out and replaced
with improved machinery four times
within u period OF ten years. The Car
negie company is reported, correctly, II
is believed, TO have strapped on one
occasion more than Sl.000.00O worth
Of new machinery which had never
been used.
This has already become q serious
matter for many municipalities which
have engaged in undertakings lying
outside of the engineering limits de
fined above. Many Of these municipal
tiles installed plants for the produe-
ton of electric light at a time prior to
the advent Of important improvements
In generating and distributing electric
lty, and as these municipalities In COM
mon with most municipalities made no
proper allowance for depreciation the
capital invested has been practically
lost, and in addition the cost OF elec-
trio light to the consumer Is much
higher than it is In other places equip
ped with later and more economical
types of machinery. In addition. heavy
and expensive repairs have been neces-
sary and the taxes correspondingly In
creased. This has reacted upon the
municipalities, since the heavy rates
have caused manufacturers to move
away to other towns, and this again
has still further increased the burden
upon those remaining. There are al
ready indications that a considerable
number Of these municipalities which
have engaged in improper undertakings
are entering upon period Of financial
diflculty.-R. A. Fessenden.