Crittenden record=press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1907-1909, 1908-02-27

According 10 Dr ingram, chairman
of the finance committee of Woolwich
that borough reached the verge of
bankruptcy under the management OF
the NJ. q. party. which tried 10 show
that the electric plant was profitable
! 10y the simple expedient 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
at a meeting Of the Rotterdam hor-
ough council Alderman GUNNER oh
jected 10 the amount which the gas
undertaking contributed 10 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 a city is well governed munici.
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 20 their
OF their private wealth William 7
Stead. Editor Review OF Reviews.
AT the fifth annual conference OF the
Municipal Tramways association q.
W. Holford. 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 It's
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:
80 far 1t must be admitted that no
saving has been effected. / do not
think that IL was ever anticipated that
there would be any saving In the ex-
penses OF administration. as the man
agement of trading concern by a
municipal body must always involve
expenditure quite outside that which
falls on private company"
In my opinion. the root OF the evil is
to be 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 yet |
payment for the first set will not be |
until 1857. In our capital OF |
f4l4, 900 for some thirty mile, Of tram J
ways there is at least 100000 for /
which we cannot produce ANY asset |
whatever IL. Moore. Lsq.. Alder
man and Chairman. Huldetsacll Cor
poration Trsmways.
An English correspondent writes:
THE 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 overcrowdng was
unknown; now IL is the rule on in
Iuiring the reason Of the change
was told that it was this: The regula-
lions as TO numbers remain the same,
but they are never enforced. The po-
ice dare not enforce II because they
are servants Of the corporation; the
corporation will not enforce IL because
Is enforcement would mean a reduc-
ion in the receipts, and the borough
bench so largely consists OF Justices
in'lllDtlS vi the corporation I
lnder Its influence that no conviction
4 sought for by private person
would be obtained"
Keir Hardie, one OF the Socialist
MEMBERS Of parliament, voiced the SEN
iments Of English Socialists when he
'aid at Bradford year ago:
1T becomes increasingly evident that
Socialism In this country will come
through the municipalities-mun
rams, municipal water. municipal gas,
municipal electricity. municipal bread,
municipal coal and municipal land.
These things are all putting the people,
" will put them. In possession and
control Of the essentials of life, and
hat Is what Socialism aims at" /,
Roswell NJ M has voted two tn Ona ,