Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-03
TRAVELLER TELLS
Of TRIP ABROAD
DENVER MAN RETURNS AFTER
LONG JOURNEY
Practical Mining Man Says American
System of Street Railways Has
European Methods Beaten to
a Standsti =

IT have been in Los Angeles over
night and from my first impression
am very favorably impressed by the
progress which the place has made since
1 was here a year ago. I see, how
ever, that Citizen Fixit is in your midst.
l am equally conscious that he is hap
PLY in the small minority said
Charles H. Wellborn at the Alexandria
last night.
ut is good thing for your city that
the Fixit type is in the minority" con-
tinued Mr.. Wellborn. "His crazy ideas
of municipal ownership gain little head
way in city like this, where there is
small room for the meddler who doesn't
know when he is we'll off,"
Mr.. Wellborn is Denver man and
he is on the home stretch Of a trip
around the world. He is q practical
mining man who has made every dol
lar he has by astute management of a
business that grew so big Mr.. Wellborn
nearly broke down under the strain of
management and had to take a trip
abroad to recuperate. He is bronzed
as a sailor and looks fit to run a race.
Mr.. Wellborn takes a lively interest
in public utilities and his keen observa-
ton all over the world has taught him
a valuable lesson concerning the man.
agement of public affairs.
Tay Payers Are HowIing
During my wandering in Europe 1
got a good insight into municipality
owned street car systems when I went
to Scotland. I couldn't help comparing
the miserable service with our own su-
perb privately owned system in Denver.
The poorly built, unwieldy, fenderless
tram operated under the public trad
ing method makes but a poor showing
kNl.
in Oakland. All over England where
visited a number of cities several
months ago, there was general revul-
sion of sentiment against this munich
pal ownership, which they call public
trading The rate payers are making
a universal howl about the increase in
their taxes
showed me on paper beautiful figures
to prove what a success the public
trading was. Those who told me it was
a success and showed the figures were
invariably persons who were profitlng
by the burden imposed on the people.
The service is not improved, the fares
not appreciatively reduced, but the
lines are invariably the source Of a big
annual deficit.
Talks of Denver System
"Over here we hear about the re-
duced fares That is a sheer misrepre-
sentation of the facts. Fares at cents
in Denver are in reality cheaper than
the 2 penny claptrap arrangement for
certain people at certain hours in Glas-
gov. Why, at home we can ride from
Aurora or Montclair about seven miles
east from the courthouse, to Rocky
Mountain lake, Elitch's geological gar
den or Sloan's lake, northwest about
five miles, and there transfer on Lari-
mer and go about five miles farther
north. all on a scent fare. I believe
we get the longest ride in the world
for cents Cars OF modern type, COM
Portable seats and wide aisles, and
plenty of them is the rule:
when i am at home l live out on
the Colfax line. In the morning when
/ go to the office any time from $3.50 to
o'clock, I have a three-minute serv-
ice and twelve minute run to the bus
mess section. We have good tenders
and few persons are hurt. We have
viaducts at all railroad crossings and
no danger from that source. Denver's
two facilities cannot be beaten-the car
and the water system. The Denver
Union Water company has a three
year supply of excellent water.
RATES are reasonable and service
excellent. l should regret to have any
OF the municipal ownership insanity
break out there after what / have seen
OF 1t abroad. have confidence our