The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-10

which 1t Is the duty OF the city TO pro-
vide A democracy cannot afford to ig-
more the intellectual and moral welfare
of its citizenship. 1t has been found
cheaper to maintain educational than
penal institutions. Public economy
therefore prompts the city to provide
educational facilities for the people and
to maintain public parks and Athletic
grounds for healthful recreation. Many
cities exee'cise this function to the ex-
tent of providing free public libraries and
reading rooms, public art galleries., muse
ums, public baths, botanical and zoologl-
cal gardens and technical schools. From
a purely economical standpoint, the exer-
else Of municipal power for the improve
ment of the conditions of life has been
found profitable. Since the capacity of
the Individual as a producer is directly
proportional to his skill and culture, the
aggregate increase of production through
educational agencies must enrich the
municipality. But there is still a
higher motive. If the municipality is to
stop with the material plane; If men and
women are to be regarded merely as hui
man machines, valued for what they pro-
duce or as animals, TO be housed and
fed that they may do a certain amount or
work, our civilization cannot long survive
The material plane is essential as the
basis for the social elevation OF man,
and the material agencies entrusted to
the municipality must be directed to the
higher, rather than the lower ideals OF
civic and social life.
Thus far I have tried to show that the
expansion of municipal activity along
the designated lines of inspection, pro-
prietorship and general education, does
not involve any radical departure from
the old ideal of the sphere of municipal
government. No new principles Is IN
volved. It is primarily a question OF
protective and economic service to the
people, to be determined In each case
by expediency, cost and efficiency.
In all of our large towns and cities,
many of the specific executive functions
of municipal government are supple
mented by quasi-public organizations and
private individuals. Humane societies en-
force laws against cruelty to children and
animals; charity organizations and hos
pitfalls relieve the municipality to very
great extent of the care of the poor, the
sick and the defective classes. Detec-
tive agencies, park associations, private
schools, libraries and museums, supple
ment recognized municipal functions
These agencies constitute 1.-The unofficial
government of our cities. The inspec-
ton of food and drink products by the
city is largely relieved by the principle
of competition; the consumer may elect
where and for what he spends his money.
But there Is one class of public services
that excludes all competition and Is
placed beyoundN the reach of the ''un-
official" public. This class includes do
nestle necessities common to all. For
very good reasons, there can be no COM
petition In the water supply, light, tele-
phone and street car service. Each re-
auires an exclusive franchise and is thus
constituted a monopoly. This class of
necessities is so clearly Differentiated
from all other common needs, that no one
can seriously believe municipal ownership
Of public utilities to be step towards
municipal ownership of grocery. dry
goods drug and other lines OF business.
Competition tends to supply the best
qualities of food at the lowest prices,
but in case of water, light and street
railways the people are affarded no pro-
lection as to price or efficiency, ex-
cept under government regulation or
ownership Many cities in this country
own their water, gas and electric plants.
The Brooklyn bridge line in New York
has been the only instance in the United
States so far as / know, of municipal
ownership of street railway. The city
of Detroit was the first in this country to
propose to purchase and operate its en-
fire street railway system An enabling
act was passed by the state legllature,
which was declared by the supreme court
unconstitutional, on the ground that the
constitution OF Michigan prohibits the
state from engaging in internal improve
ments. The court decided that street rail-
WAYS are an internal improvement, and
therefore. the city being a creature of
the state could not own and operate them
1t is difficult to see why the same prin-
ciple should not apply to public parks,
city waterworks and lighting plants. the
construction of streets, township and
county roads, bridges and other internal
improvements carried on by the creatures
of the state.
Granting the right of a city to NUM-
cipalize these public SERVES, and also the
expediency of such a step, there is still
an important question to be considered.
What disposition shall be made OF NUM-