Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-03-26
4 BUSINESS MATTER
Veteran City Official Writes About
Public Utilities.


Cincinnati Watsrworks.
In veuturlng to speak ON the subject
OF municipal ownership OF public utili-
ties my opinion Is based upon long as
sociation with works Of public water
supply. with which | have been con-
nected as designer. builder and opera
tor during nearly my whole profes-
slonal career. Recognizing the analogy
in many respects OF waterworks gas
works, electric light works, street rail-
ways and other public utilities, such
opinion as may be expressed upon mu-
nlcipal ownership OF works Of public
water supply will have an application
TO other public utilities,
My experience teaches me that prl-
vate corporations engaged in building
and operating waterworks systems al
most invariably secure better results
in construction and operation than are
obtained 10y municipal corporations
subject TO rapidly changing political In
fiuences and whose public utilities are
used. as they are bound to be used, az
nesting places for active politicians
whose chief claim for favor rests upon
political services rather than upon mcr'
| Il and experience I'm the conduct OF any
branch OF public water supply.
That there are exceptions 60 this rule
In not surprising. There Is one city In
the United states which enjoys a met.
, ropolitan water supply under the con.
| troll OF the state The governor ap'
points the commissioners and the com
missloners aud all their employees can
expect 10 hold oiIice for life or during
good behavior In this instance polit
| ical influence Il removed from the de
Sign, construction aud operation OF the
works OF public water supply, The
| commissioners and all their employees
| deal with the waterworks Ms matter
OF business, and am Informed that no
political test II ever applied 10 any
man appointed TO position under this
board. This h the only city In this
| country which now recall where such
n condition exists,
The relations between the officers
and capitalists OF private winter com
pany are precisely the same ms those
between any set Of responsible men IN
a commercial or manufacturing busi'
ness. Plans are mutually studied 10
secure the best results at least cost,
In securing bids for work the lowest
prices are usually obtained by private
parties. because none OF the usual legal
restrictions and red tape which per
| ...aa all t.ouaacflou. tn rnuntgInai INV.
ernments Is permitted 20 enter Into the
operation OF n private company, and
better prices ana better termo can b.
made In behalf OF responsible pri'
vate corporation than In behalf OF u
municipal corporation. ! speak OF this
matter from actual experience and
have had occasion 10 state 20 the ON
GERS OF municipal corporations that
money and time could be savel the
taxpayers or water takers n the par
ticular works under consideration
could be constructed as n private en-
terprlsc.
In the operation OF a municipal wa.
terworks there can be no doubt that
a company can secure better results
than municipal corporation II ex.
cept the single city IN this country re-
ferred 20 above. A private corporation
IL bound 10 supply water Ia quantity
aud quality up 20 the terms OF its con
tract and 20 the satisfaction OF its pa
irons. Ia measure II II required -
do business with the citizens very
much as any local manufacturing or
commercial company would be required
20 conduct its business N II depended
entirely upon local patronage IL must
satisfy its customers. How few OF
the larger cities OF the country satisfy
the requirements OF the water con.
sumersl
A private water company Il constant
ly seeking business. II ID bound "a
conduct its service and adjust Ia
water rates 10 secure this. and. while
the matter OF Droft IL necessarily al
ways In view aud properly kept In
view by the private water company
nevertheless no company can be 80 In
different 20 It's own interests as 10 re.
fuse 20 listen 20 the Just demands Of
the community which n II serving.
l believe the trend Of sentiment TO
day Is distinctly against municipal
ownership OF works OF public water
supply aud OF some other public util'
tiles and more emphatieaily against
the operation Of such works by munich
pal corporations. In fact, believe
that the less a municipal corporation
dabbles in lines Of business which en-
perlence has Demonstrated private
parties are able 20 conduct successful
~ the greater viii be the advantage %
the people,
While l believe that the ownership,
construction and operation OF works OF
public water supply and other public
utilities should be IN the hands Of pFl'
vafe corporations. do not mean by
this that they should not be subject "a
proper municipal control Every water
company should b. required 10 supply
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