The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-01-24


the Telegraph, the Telephone, the
Street Cars or Gas and Electric
Lishtins-Trus Mature Of q Public
Franchise.
BY ARTHUR WILLIAMS,
President National Electric Light associa,
tion.
Some things are so essentially of q
governmental nature that 1t would be
fatuOus to consider them from the
standpoint of private ownership.
Among these are the collection of GUS
toms, the maintenance and direction Of
the army and navy and the police pow
er In others it Is the end rather than
the means that should be sought, and
municipal and private ownership are
often on equal terms without the viola
tiOn of any economic principle.
The maintenance of public highways
and sewers is usually public func-
tlon, but the country abounds in exam
pies, every whit as satisfactory, of pri-
vate ownership and operation. With
water the Importance TO the cOmmuni-
ty lies not in its ownership. whether
public or private. but rather in its quail
ity, quantity and price. Many of the
most satisfactory waterworks Of this
country and Europe are owned pri-
vately.
Beyond these there is class Of pub
lie utilities which experience has shown
should lie exclusively within the domain
of private enterprise. The telegraph, tel
ephone, transportation, gas and electric
light undertakings offer examples. The
ownership of these by the community
is advocated by some on the ground
that they are necessities of modern
life, by others because they partake OF
the nature of monopoly. 1t does not
appear that either is a sufficient rea-
son. These are facilities and conven-
iences, not necessities. The latter con-
sist of simple dwellings, food, raiment
and means of warmth in winter. If
our necessities are to be munlcipallzed,
we should begin with the butcher, gro
Ger baker and coal dealer, whose per-
centage Of profits far exceeds that of
any of the corporations in the 50 called
public service.
Monopoly regulated monopoly - Is
not necessarily opposed to the public
interest. 1t Is advantageous to all to
have one telephone system, that from
one point all may be conveniently
reached; to have one street car sys-
TEN with universal transfers, making
unnecessary any relation between ones
home and place of work; to have
single gas or electric light works, pre-
venting the waste Of small plants and
organizations and securing by the lar
ger development increased reliability
and improved quality in the service.
A franchise merely permits a public
service corporation to share with 9th
ers the use Of the streets for the de-
livery to its customers of the commod-
ity 1t supplles-a right that is enjoy
ed by every other industry. The diff
ference Is merely one of method. Were
electricity delivered in storage bat
teries and gas in tanks-conceivable
WHyS-nO IFuuCulSe NOulu De EequlIcu
Instead of using horses and wagons,
which blockade the streets and make
street cleaning a problem, deliveries
are made beneath the surface without
dirt, noise or other Objectionable fea-
lures.
1t is through the exercise of this
right that we hear of the contiscatlon
Of public property. Yet the public has
not parted with its title to the streets
nor its right to occupy them for any
purpose or in any manner it may de-
sire. 1t has simply permitted a serv-
ice company to become tenant, for
which, in the form of franchise and
other taxes, the company pays high
rent Substantially the city is the
landlord, possessing the power of arbI-
trarily determining, in the form Of
these taxes. what rent it shall receive.
And this rent lessons proportionately
the individual taxation.-Moody's Mag
azine.