New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-22
CITY-OWNER CAR LINES.
HOW Worked IN BRITAIN.
Conflicting Conclusions Reached an
CiUic Federation Report.

operating public utilities. this statement is about
evenly divided for and against the proposition The
investigation deals with the streetcar experiments
of cities and towns In Great Britain and Ireland
Professor Frank Parsons, Of Boston expresses
in his section of the report the belief that mu-
nicipai ownership is the only way TO achieve low
fares and high class service William J. Clark,
general manager of the foreign department Of the
General Electric Company, goes on record for re-
lating things they He declares that under
private ownership American traction lines have
been developed a rate that outstrips the rlu-
nicipaly owned lines Of the United Kingdom AS
a solace to American strap hangers, Mr.. Clark de-
cares that British cars carry twice as many pas
sengers each year as do those on this size Oh the
Atlantic.
The special committee from the Public owner
ship Commission of the Federation went into the
details of the management Of the publicly owned
traction tramway lines of Glasgow, Manchester
Liverpool and those Of the London County Coun-
, Gil. The private systems 1t investigated were the
London United Company and those of Bristol Nor
witch and Dublin With the same facts in hand
Mr.. Clark and Professor Parsons draw counter
conclusions Professor Parsons, in his part OF
the report, expresses himself as follows
THE data for 1906 show that municipal operation
has been adopted by than seventy OF the lead
ing cities and towns, including all the prlnclpal
cities of the United Kingdom, except Dublin,
Bristol. Norwich and Edinburgh. and the to'a
number Of local authorities operating their tram
ways is 123 or practically half the number OF tram
way undertakings in the kingdom with Its miles
line.
companies.
The number OF tramway undertakings operated
by municipalities from 2'per cent Of the whole
number of tramway systems In the Kingdom. III
March 1898. to 40 per cent In Marcn Iyyo. anu -
now over 50 per cent and the miles Of line operated
by municipalities increased from 20 per cent IN
1894 to 81 per cent IN 1905.
Professor Parsons the reasons lot Inu-
nicipalizinR the street railways as follows;
The principal reasons for the muncipalizauon
Of trauways have been: % The poor service rem
bv ra their
Of employees 90 their refusal to assent to the
adontion Of electric traction extension lines into
suburban districts. and other vital improvements;
90 the constant contention OF the companies as 10
their rights and duties and the difficulty expert
enced by the cities. amounting to practical impos-
sbiiity. Of securing reasonable regard to the
public interest in the management OF ranWays
under the leasing and franchise system, or even
the fulflment Of express contracts according 70
their spirit and Purposes. 90 the growing belief
the part OF the public that the streets and all
monopoly uses Of them public property which
should be handed over TO private parties 10 he
managed for private profit; 80 the desire that the
profits Of the undertaking should inure the ben
eft Of the public In lower rates and better service
or payments into the public treasury to be eX-
pended for the benefit Of the community
Mr. Clark on the other hand points out that tho
investigation did not include American streetcar
lines In making clear his belief that the American
lines show that private ownership works FOR the
common good he says that in 1902 In Great Britain
the and city population 20 each mile Of tram
way track was 40. while in the United States
there was mile Of track 10 each 1875 of town
and city population. In Crest Britain there was
ono Tor each $50 Of population while IN tho
United States there car 10 574 city resi-
dents. Thus the urban resident OF the United
States h2d comparatively more than six and one
half times the number ~ cars available his
than available tho British inhabltant The
British systems carried l3siio2sS5 passengers
and the American 552l5os.52l. and Of these 1889
1872 practically so per cent. of the British
total were transported free transfers.
Mr.. Clark takes up the charge that the traction
in the United States oycrCrowded and de
cIares that the figures given above show that on
a Ia of mas grrv nuV lpf "A car oar hn
American car averages only Sass passengers
year against 1888 year carried by the
age in the United Kingdom. While IA" Rrton
paid an average OF 226 cents. against an average
as IN the United States the writer points
the formers facilities for from
Il J. per cent Of those enjoyed by the American
passenger In 1902 there British cities 81
more than 100000 population, seven with popula-
tons Of from 5000 10 100000 and thirty nine with
( from q 600 10 10000 inhabitants. without street
I railways but In tie United States there
city Of more than $4,000 people without traction
service
To Offset this contention Professor Parsons has
the following to say I'm his report
In Wow Of the current criticisms OF British
tramways based comparisons with the street
railways OF the United States. It : necessary to
remark that the differences commonly drawn or
Intended 20 be drawn tr"sl such comparisons. in
respect 70 public and private ownership. wholly
illogical For example. told that stree:
railways IN America are superior 10 the municipal
/ trs.nways OF Great Britain In speed mileage per
capita, extent and character OF service dstrtbu-
tou OF population etc, and II Is Inferred that tho
/ difference is due TO the form Of ownership.
! Such Influences are invalid. because they lg-
more the mixture Of causes the difference in
/ sit conditions and in law, and the influence OF
national causes. The lower speed Of English
! ways IS not due 10 The form OF ownership. but
TO legal regulations which strictly limit the speed.
and which apply TO private tramwayS Great
! Britain well as to public trans As to mileage.
the public tramways have extended their lines as
! n rule much more than the companies In Great
! Britain. but the mileage a thousand inhabitants
! is not so great as in the United States and does
! not need to be
British cities are much more compact than
! American cities, and the steam railways. under
compulsion OF law establish low fares for
workmen have developed large suburban traffic
at very low rates; that. for various reasons, a
J lower tramway mileage a thousand OF population
is required in Great Britain than in the United
/ States
Aside from any question OF ownership British
/ tramways. public and private. must In the ANAL
! American standards. Our streetcars. believe
! faster. carry more strap passengers and Kill
and injure people than the streetcars. public
or private. IN any other country. Our people like
| this, but the English would not Our cars 20
faster, not because they are private property. but
because they American. The speed exceeds
! that of the private trans IN Great Britain and in
| France even more than It exceeds the speed
| the public trans.
The conditions and habits OF the people are
| different in the two countries, and these differ
| euces must be taken into account in the manage
| ment of the tramways and in the Judgment OF
them. The successful tramway IS the that
meets the needs of the people in its district and
! FiVcs at reasonable a service in accord
| their habits and Desires
on the financial condition OF the companies and
! municipalities in this regard Mr.. Clark estimates
that the British municipalities and local govern
| ments enjoy total Of possible financial benefits
/ from tramway operations of about $S.S7g176 but
that American traction enterprises and their stock
holders pay a total OF 1864 1873, constituting a
| government revenue than SS4.O0OOOO a year
greater than the return to the state from similar
! traction systems IN Great Britain
he writer here takes what he terI0 tha