The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-26

public lighting of Hanover In 1925, up to
which date the streets of the town were
I lighted with oil. From 1925 to l64e the
Continental had a monopoly. In Berlin and
elsewhere. but the high prices charged
induced the Berlin city fathers 70 start a
gas plapt OF their own. Competition went
on until both companies we're threatened
with destruction by the perfeoting OF the
! electric light. Then came the inoandesoent
burner, the stocking, as 1t Is called in Ger
many. The Continental now lights the
centre Of Berlin. charging for it's supply
1888 pfenniRs a cubic metre. as against 40
pfennigs. the cost OF lighting by electricity.
SO perfect have the company's incandescent
lamps now become that one Of the large
I open places Of the city is being lighted
with hem instead of electricity.
The nenny in the slot meter. was slow
10 be adopted in Berlin, but II has become
Popular in the last three or four years and
there are now sc. 900 In ira. The comre-
tition he ween the Cont N ,ntal and The
municipal plant ceased in 1901. when a
common price was agreed on. The Cont
mental has still a monoDoly in tile centre
Of the city. paving an annual rent or sub
sidy Of S125 900 TO the municiph lily, besides
possessing long term franchises in the
suburbs.
Notwithstanding the rent and the similar
conditions under which Il works IN other
Continental and German towns, It Is able to
pay n dividend of 3 per cent. or a capital
of S25 ,000, 600. The lowest wage il pays
lH uDSkllleQ WOTKmen u ABOUT u uOuHT ~
day, and its skilled workmen 81 rs. II is
contemplating the introduction of an eight
or nine hour day.
Nothing serious can be alleged against the
municipal system OF gas supply, for though
IL has an apparently oumbrous stan. includ-
ing four mana gers, two of whom are jurists
and two engineers, with a multitude OF
technical experts, this is due to the fact
that it manufactures and builds all its
accessories, reservoirs, plant and piping
In the case OF the Continental these &C.
cessories are put into the hands Of other
private companies, and money and work
are thus circulated more freely among the
community.
The street car system Of Berlin Is private,
with the exception Of two lines, to Trepow
and to Pankow, in which the municipality
owns about half the shares. TIT company
running these municipal lines, Siemens Il
Halske, binds itself to make good any failure
to pay dividends. A noteworthy feature
in its administration Is that it is managed
by a council Of five, including two members
Of the municipality. two members OF the
municipal corporation and a director OF
Siemens 4 Halske.
The line is thus practically municipal
and suffers from being 80 In that its plant
has been allowed to become old fashioned
and that 1t shows no intention OF meeting
up TO date requirements. TIL Berlin mu-
nicipality is about to start four electric
lines in competition with the main system
OF Berlin-the privately owned and man
aged street car company.
This company leaves little to be desired,
ave possibly in the matter OF speed, but
here It is limited by the Prussian police
regulations, which up to last ear did not
allow the cars to travel at, more than ten
kilometres (say six miles, an hour, though
this has since been slightly increased and
with an immediate growth in the number
of passengers as a consequence.
The company has a capital Of $40, 0Oo, 900 |
and for the last o years has paid a divi-
dend Of between 2 and 8 per cent. In 1905
it carried $50, 900 900 passengers, or II 600, 900
more than in the year previous. The in |
come in the same year was %, 800, 900, OF
which 81, 900, 900 was net profit. The cost
Of electricity was about 81 900 900 over
about {, O70 metres Of rail. About $500 per-
sons ara employed. Cars number 2,4as..
The company pays an annual subsidy
8 per cent. of the gross income amounting
to $3.50 800 in 1e05), q share of the net
profit 1874 500 in l906). To CharlottenburR
and ~Sch6neberg Suburban municipalitiee)
the company pays a rent o. % u Tor each
also bears the expense OF paving, asphalt
ing, maintenance and cleansing OF streets.
On the expiry Of the agreement in 1920
the system and appurtenances pass into
the possession OF the municipalities.
In consequence Of more practical o~rganiza-
ton and more intelligent direction the pri-
vate system is in a position to do the work
more economically and satisfactorily to
the public han the municipal. 1t is SUI !
perior to municipal working in respect to
rapidity Of decision and energy, because
il does not require so complicated an estab-
lishment nor need entertain the many con-
siderations with regard to other municipal
interests which hamper municipalities.
The public is better served, because the
Improvement Of the system and conse-
quently the increase OF the traffic are the
sole aim Of the private company. The
cost OF administration is cheaper in the case
Of a company and the fares therefore
The dividend in 1908. was 8 per cent:
1e@, ~ per cent; 1905. ~ per cent. The
indemnity to shareholders on the handing
over of the system consists in the creation
of an amortization fund by annual reserves
from the profits, sufficient to indemnifythe
shareholders on the expiry OF the municipal
contracts. The amortization fund amounted
in 1905 to 1886 900.
The Berlin Electrical Works Company,
with a capital of about 500 900 900 Increased
recently bv SO. 900, OOo), has a monopoly
from the city, though 80 far limited that an
company may be at any day
il the municipality consents. For
this franchise the company pays a certain
percentage OF its profits, amounting in
1905 to 1925 900, which went into the munich
pal treasury, without the city having
either risk or trouble.
The company has been at work more than
NNl ColE AihSN h"S
shown any desire to take it over. The
present contract runs till 1914, when IL
will most probably be renewed.
Director Datterer is very emphatic as
20 the advantages Of private company
working. According to him a municipality
has not the freedom or facility Of working
that a company has. There are competing
claims on its funds m a really pressing
want may have to be postponed a year
or two or three in favor of some equally
or still more pressing claim. II cannot
As a company must, to sink large
sums in plant and machinery which some
Improvement or invention may suddenly
render obsolete.
Its decisions will be passed too slowly
or too hastily, and persons must have u
voice in them who may be unqualified by
experience or technical knowledge.
He sees no objection to the simultaneous
working Of more than one company In a
town. provided, OF course, that proper
protective measures are adopted.
In Vienna there are five competing COM
panies. some large towns in Germany
possess their own electrical plants, Frankfort
md Breslau among the number. These are
not unsuccessful because they happen 10