Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-24

the Results Ihey Note-Ihe Open
Door For Socialism.
The Yorkshire Observer quotes The
mayor of Bradford as saying In pub.
lic meeting that on account of the great
demands upon the time of members of
the council ii was difficult 10 get good
men TO enter or remain in that body.
Yet the corporation had l1.euo.O00 In
vested in its undertakings. which must
lie managed in some way or other,
good. bad or Indifferent"
According TO Dr. Ingram, chairman
of the finance committee of Wooiwich.
that borough reached the verge OF
bankruptcy under the mana cement of
the NJ. o. party. which tried TO show
that the electric plant was profitable
10y the simple expedent of not paying
bills. The new administration was
faced with a floating Indebtedness Of
$4,000. which has 10 be provided for
by taxation.
The Yorkshire Observer states that
mt meeting of the Rotterdam bor-
ough council Alderman GUNNER oh
jected to the amount which the gas
undertaking contributed TO the rates
on the ground that il had been made
possible only by raising the price of
gas and thus making its consumers
bear an unfair proportion of the rates.
This bore especially upon the poor,
who use gas instead of electricity.
II city is well governed munci.
pal ownership is the most dangerous
thing imaginable and should be care
fully avoided. There is always the
danger that the public utilities the city
is supposed to own Will become moth
ing more or less than the private prop,
erty of the people at the head of the
government. who will work to their
own advantage sind the enhancement
OF their private William I.
Stead, Editor Review of Reviews.
At the fifth annual conference Of the
Municipal Tramways association q.
w. Hoford. general manager of the
Stafford corporation tramways, stated
that the probable average life of rails
was twelve years. Commenting upon
the fact that in many cities no depre
citation or renewals fund was being
set aside. he earnestly warned the
gentlemen responsible that serious re-
suits would follow in ten or twelve
years time, when heavy calls would
have to be made upon the ratepayers
for the purpose of renewals"
Four years ago London took over its
waterworks. with the result that wa
ter rates have increased rather than
diminished Referring TO the operat-
ing expenses. Sir Melvill Beachcroft,
chairman Of the water board, recently
said
$50 far 1t must be admitted that no
saving mas been effected | do not
think that it was ever anticipated that
there would be any saving in the ex-
penses of administration, as the man
agement of trading concern by Il
municipal body must always involve
expenditure quite outside that which
falls on private company"
In my opinion, the root of the evil Is
to lie found in the too great facilities
afforded by parliament for crazy mu-
nicipal traders to borrow money upon
periods of repayment out of all pro
portion to the lifetime of the work
upon which the money is expended.
In Huddersfield we are wearing out
| our third set of tram rails. and vet
payment for the first set will not be
completed until 1857. In our capital Of
E4l4.000 for some thirty miles of tram
ways there is at least f1O0oOO for
which We cannot produce any asset
whateve ver"-T. Ii. Moore. Esq, Alder
man and Chairman, Hudlersfield Cor
poration Tramways.
An English correspondent writes
"rhe tram cars in Liverpool until
late years were owned by private
company, whereas now they are own
ed by the corporation. In the time Of
private ownership overcrowding was
unknown now 1t is the rule. On IN
quiring the reason of the change |
was told that it was this: The regula-
tions as to numbers remain the same,
| but they are never enforced. The po-
| lice dare not enforce it because they
are servants of the corporation; the
corporation will not enforce it because
Its enforcement would mean a reduc
ton In the receipts, and the borough
bench so largely consists of justices
either members of the corporation or
under its influence that no conviction
If sought for by a private person
would be obtained"
Keir Hardie. one of the Socialist
members of parliament. voiced the SEN
tinents of English Socialists when he
said at Bradford a year ago:
at becomes increasingly evident that
Socialism in this country will come
through the municipalities
trans. municipal water. municipal gas,
municipal electricity. municipal bread,
municipal coal and municipal land.
These things are all putting the people,
or will put them. in possession and
control of the essentials of life. and
that is what Socialism aims at"
Roswell. N. NJ, has voted two to one
against bonding for city water plant.