Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-15
Civic Federation'S Municipal
Ownership Commission Finds
Much of Good and Evil in
American Experiments.
OWNERSHIP DENOUNCED
AND AS FIRMLY ENDORSED
Some Extraordinary Facts and
Figures the Result of Inter
eSting Inquiry Into the Re-
suits Of MuniCipaIization

1AHhC W 1NNf0ARAiAG AAOltt
New York. July 1.-THE experts
acting for the National Civic Fedora
tlon municipal ownership commission
ave completed their reports. aud a
critical review Of the results Of their
examinations In the United States was
made public today by the commission
This review Is by n committee Of four
appointed by the commission. Two Of
the writer's. Walton CLARK, vica-presi-
dent Of The United las Improvement
company. Of Philadelphia, and Charles
L. Edgar, president OF the Edison
Electric and Illuminating company. OF
Boston, c~riticise severely the munic-
ipal plants examined. while two other
writer's. Professor Frank Parsons. of
Boston president Of the National Pub
Tic Ownership league, and Edward w.
Femis, superintendent Of the CleVc-
land, Ohio. water works find much
10 favor IN municipal plants which
were Investigated Separate reviews
of british municipalization viii he
made public later.
Mcssrs. Clark ana Edgar concur In
the statement that the inquiry Of the
committee. both from the standpoint
of British and American experience,
more especially tho latter. has shown
that where municipal ownership has
been removed from the realm Of phil
osophic discussion ana nut To- the test
Of actual experience " has failed in
gloriously" The belief Is expressed
by those gentlemen that the "fcw en-
thnsiasts" who still advocate munich
pal ownership win soon be convinced
by the logic 0f events. and turning
their energies 10 other things VIII
through them realize their ambitions
Of usefulness to their fellows" Pro-
fessor Parsons and Mr. Hemls. on the
other hand, take q most hopeful view
aH 60 municlpHlization. declaring that
the failures Of municipal ownership
are insignificant compared Go the fail
ures 81 private ownership. either Ia
nnmher or Importance. II ia not
public ownership, hut private owner
ship Professor Parsons says. that be-
responsible Tor our periodic crises and
the ruin Of our industries As to the
fitness Of American cities 10 manage
business affairs, many Of them. he
says have clearly proved their fitness,
and the rest can be made fit 1T is
not impossible" he adds. THAT the
elimination Of the public service cor
poraiions through public ownership,
is one of che things that would do
moro to help along the process Of
making our cities IT." Mr Bemis be-
NcNes that the greatest reason for the
strength Of the municipal ownership
movement lies IN The relations Of the
public service corporations with tho
state and local governments. which
relations he declares are destructive
of political purity. democracy and free
Institutions In this same a
tiun MT Edgar aud MI. CLARK take
thr view that the evil Of building up
political machines with city employees
as q basis exists now 10 a degree In
American municipalities and that the
disastrous effects would he much
greater if the many a electrical aud
street railway employees were added
Go The present number Of city office
holders Professor Parsons expresses
tho conviction that municipal owner
ship would develop a higher class 81
municipal administrations lie dcnics
that public ownership would destroy
Individual Initiative. and says hat "a
Gladstone or IL Roosevelt can find as
much room Tor individual Initiative
ir fhr service Of the people as the
president ~ l street railway on light
inE system ran lind in The service Of
his company
t.Npcu Investigation.
The reports reviewed hN Mcssrs
CLARK and Edgar. on the ono side and
Mpssre Parsons and ncmis. nn thp
other aggregate almost one million
words. and were made Co. The public
ownership commission OF the National
civic Federation hN technical oN-'
prr;s engineer. accountants and st1-
fi.flrifus who visited and Thoroughly
Inquired into prevailing ,nudltiosis Boo
H lHfgr number cot public and private
enterprise Boo thD United STATES and