Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-26
PUBLIC SERVICE BAD
OitiEsns Of Berlin Are Much Dissatisfied
with I've Chief Branches
TELEPHONE SYSTEM ESPECIALLY POOR
Bureaucracy Has Resulted in Psrpetuating
Old Men aud Their Methods
EVILS OF MANAGEMENT PATENT TO -;
Metropolitan Railway Has BsOOp - q.
of General DsrisiOp ,,%
LIGHTING SlSTtM HE ONE E.,cLPTloN
EVILS OF MANAGEMENT PATENT TO y,
LIGHTING sNsTts 1Ht ONE L,,cLPTIoN
Street Railways of GermRny's Capital
Managed by Private Enterprise
with Assistance of City
Representatives.

BERLIN, May A-(special.)-In no coun-
try In Europe can one examine the relative
efficiency and economy of state managed
and privately managed public services to
greater advantage than in Germany. The
bureaucracy here is more numerous and it's
attitude toward the general public is more
autocratio than elsewhere among civilized
people except in Russia.
1t does not follow, however that the av-
erage German Ia content with all the forms
Of state control under which he lives. Here
In Berlin, for instance, great dissatisfaction
is felt with two chief branches Of public
service. the Metropolitan railroad, or
Stadtbahn, and the telephone system. The
two illustrate a condition of things which
can be paralleled in almost any part of
the empire, just as what is to be said Of
private enterprise is applicable in the same
way.
The Metropolitan is an object Of derision
70 all travellers, not least 10 the traveller
from America. 1t carries one, indeed. be-
tween five stations for Is pfennigs (four
pfennigs equal cent?. but It takes about
four times as long as a similar trip in
New York.
No doubt the traveller is amused at see
ing his train dispatched TO the stentoriRn
age in captains uniform, and there is a
great deal OF concern. not to say curiosity,
displayed about his ticket and behavior
generally from the moment he enters the
station until he is enclosed in a carriage
which is usually warm when Il should be
cool and cold when II should be warm.
But he has disagreeable sensations also.
The German Public.
Once he enters a railroad station, one
might say any public place IN Germany,
he becomes "das Publicum" - in oteer
words. the servant and chattel OF the
authorities. There is a story, probably an
old one, OF the present Duke OF Norfofk.
when postmaster general. going into a Eon-
don suburban ONCE to buy a penny stamp.
The clerk was taking things so easily that
the duke called him to order, and when the
clerk, In a very impertinent tone. asked
the duke who he was ne received the some
what astonishing reply. II am the Prbiic,"
and with II the dukes visiting card.
such story could not have orl~inated in
Germany In Germany the oficial IS every
thing and the public nothing. Nor is the
public always badly treated: indeed. n II Is
a good child, 81 It behaves itself exactly IN
accordance with the numerous notices dis
nlsved In every public ONCE The authorities
in Germany often remind one Of the little
girl who. when she was good, was very
very good. but when she was bad was
horrid.
Were the METROPOLITAN in the hands Of
private company the service would be moro
rapid. the public better treated and the line
be more frequently used. not as now
avoided where possible When the line
was built by Dircksen a quarter OF cen
tury ago II was regarded as a masterpiece
OF technical achievement. SO. perhaps It
was. but from the beginning OF its career
II was bound as municipal services COM
monly are TO deteriorate.
Influential incompetence was put at its
head, II was overloaded with personnel
an army OF bookkeepers with stacks OF
forms was brought into action, the bu-
resucratic spirit OF contempt for or in
difference to the rights Of the public began
TO pervade the entire institution. and in
efficiency began almost with the under
taking's birth In such cases managers
are chosen for their personal relations IN
high. that is TO say oficisi, quarters. rather
than for their skill and experience, while
the staff is recruited. not because OF intelli-
Eence, alertness and technical fitness but
because OF the Information the candidates
possess in history, Latin. literature and
other academic subjects. s..
Little Chance of Promotion.
Under such a system Edison himself
would have q poor chance OF employment
or promotion. The consequence has been
that after twenty-five years working In
Berlin. the number Of passengers, instead
Of rising yearly 10 correspond with tha
enormous increase in the population, has
remained stationary or decreased The
public prefer the private company's street
cars (strassenbehnl or the carriages Of the
privately owned elevated and underground
railroad OHochbahn) for they thus get
quick transport at a moderate fare, at the
same time avoiding overfilled carriages,
unexpected delays and domineering super
vision.
For the Hochhahn franchise tho siemens
& Halske company pays a rent OF about
PA per cent on yearly income exceeding
100000 marks Csi.ooo,OOO), but a minimum
OF 1900 annually. II is a small, but quick
and comfortable railway, taking one a dis
tance, at present, of four miles for 8 cents
Since it's establishment four OF FIVE years
ago not a single accident on Il OF any
gravity has been recorded
The Berlin telephone system has never
been thoroughly efficient and today may be
said TO be one OF the worst in the world.
An organic change In the manner OF putting
the called In connection with the caller was
recently introduced. and ever since the
papers have teemed with complaints, con-
demnatory resolutions drawn up by public
bodies and literature OF the same sort
II the change seemed likely to result In
an Improvement one might have patience.
but for several months it has been in oper-
alton and the service instead OF growing
better Is daily growing worse Such an
evil would have been avoided by a private
company, which would have made sure
that II would satisfy It's clients before ven
turing to disOrganixe commercial and so
cial intercourse and unnecessarily irritate
the community. The authorities do not
appear 70 have consulted the public in any
fashion. They simply said let Il be done
aud It was done. Now they stand com
Inittsd and the public is helpless and IN
more than one sense voicslsss.
Probably water works ought everywhere
70 Be IN municipal hands. but however that