The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-07-18
ON PUBLIC
UTILITIES
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who has invented a number of devic-
es and perfected several new process
es, works under an agreement with
the municipality, whereby all royal
ties from his inventions and discover
les belong to him personally, except
when used by the Leicester undertake
ing, which has the privilege of adopt
ing his inventions and discoveries
without paying the royalty he would
ordinarily receive. AS a result of the
adoption of this or a similar policy.
a number of inventions have been
made by the engineers of municipal
plants-fully as many as by those in
private undertakings.
Electricity Supply.
The electric lighting plants inves-
tigated by the Civic Federation Com
mission were the municipal ones at
Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow. and
the Borough of st. Pancras, London,
and those operated by the Newcastle
Supply Co. the Newcastle District
Company and the four London COM
panies: the City of London, Westmin-
lister, St. James n Central. Charg-
es by the municipal plants were more
economical, according to MI. Maltbie,
the cities charging sod. per unit less
than charged by the private compan-
les. AS to efficiency of service. there
was no difference between the NUM-
cipal and the undertakings,
as regards the promptness with which
current was turned on and complaints
attended to, the convenience of the
location of offices, the testing of met
ers, the restoration of paving after
streets were opened, the care given
to street work generally although
there were more complaints upon this
score against companies thar munich
%palities, the construction of exte1-
sions, n the extent to which the en-
tire area of supply was served and APP
planes carried in stock for sale or
rent.
the character and equipment of the
plants investigated is discussed. Mr..
Maltbie summarizes the result of his
branch of the examination, saying it
appears that n of the company sta
lions is more modern and efficient
than any n maintained by a munich
pality; but it is also true that two of
the companies are more backward and
have more Anticipated equipment than
any municipality. Upon the whole.
the municipal undertakings seem to
be as modern as those belonging to
the companies, but not so well located
u iohSCuJ anu pI maps III lbItS do
efficient.
General Comment by Mr.. Maltbie.
In concluding his review of the re-
ports of the experts Mr.. Maltbie says:
The opponents of municipal activi-
ty have frequently tried to scare the
British voter and to prejudice him
against the operation of public utili-
ties by local authorities by citing the
large increase in total Indebtedness
within the last fifty years, as COM
pared with the decrease of the nation
al debt. They have pointed out that
the local debt has more than trebled
in the twenty-five years from 1875 to
1900, and that the amount of local
debt per tb10O of ratable value of pro
perty has doubled in the same period,
while the national debt has decreased
almost 10 per cent.
over 40 per cent. of the local debt
is for water, gas inc electricity works
tramways, markets, harbor improve
ments, wharves. cemeteries, baths,
workingmen's dwellings etc. In every
one of these cases the deb is repre-
scented by physical asset. Besides,
there are parks, street improvements.
school houses. almshouses, bridges
and many other investments which
are now being used for public purpos-
es and by which the present citizens
are being benefited. What does the
national debt represent? To a GER
tain extent, public works of present
use and value, but principally war ex
pe1ditures or expenditures to uar-
antee success in case of war.
Further, debt for productive under
takings, such as gas works, electrici-
ty supply and tramways mas a quite
different character from debt for
schools, parks, prisons, etc. The lat
ter do not produce a financial return,
however. necessary and valuable they
may be. They nay be wen more i'm
portaat han electricity works, but
the mere fact that they are not self
supporting places them in a distinct
class. Their debt is a burden upon