The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-05-01

iOunueu IL, IN Orphuu usy iulu Duffl VI
marble--a wealthy citizen has erected
It.; university-some rich men have
| left large bequest for educational
| purposes. which serves as a capital
| stock. and th. university then lives, so
| 10 speak. almost Oh subscriptions, and
| so cn without end. We learn here how
| supprlluous 10 the action of govern
meats congerning II multitude of things
| In which in Europe it is deemed alb
Solutply Indispensable and how the
| freedom TO do something awakens the
| desire to 90 it,"
Antagonstic to Progress.
SO it seems to me that in a broad
| way this. tendency is antagonistic to
| the very fundamental cause of our
progress as a race and as nation.
There can be no competition between
| business conducted by an individual
| or a private corporation and business
| supported by taxation upon its COM
| petitors. In the very nature of the
case the municipality will soon have a
monopoly of the business in which 1t
| engages in the territory over which
the operations of this business extend
and the right of the individual to en-
gage in that business is lost in that
| territory, in so far as the opportunity
| of the individual to select his occupa-
| tion or business and to conduct it for
| the purpose of reward for his own
support or even for the benefit of the
public. is denied him. 1t is socialism
nd CT nf hn
lions of socialism given by promi-
nent expounder is that
Socialism consists in the extension
| Of national and the extinction of pri-
vate ownership of the land, the streets,
| the houses. the shops, the ships, the
| railways, the mines and all other ma
| terials for the production and the dis
tribution of wealth. Socialism would
abolish competition and private enter.
prise and would substitute cooperation
and public control"
A Wasteful Method.
The system of municipal ownership
and municipal conduct of business not
only interferes with the liberty of the
| individual, but it Is q wasteful method
of accomplishing the purposes.
AS at present organized our munich
| palities are wholly unified for wise
and prudent conduct of such under
| takings. 1t seems strange that, in the
face of the admitted inefficency of
our municipal organizations to exercise
successfully the very limited govern
mental powers intrusted to them be-
cause Of lack of honesty or lack of
sufficient patriotism or ability, some
| Of our people desire to thrust upon
| them the exercise of much more COM
pick and difficult duties
Can it be expected that this inefficient
organization, which has failed in the
| simpler field. will succeed in the more
difficult? When to be Il municipal leg
| isator has become n reproach. can we
| expect to enlist and receive the undi-
vided and patriotic effort Of competent
| men. so that the conduct Of business
| generally By city can be wisely and
economically managed?
Our limited experience in municipal
ownership and operation, it seems to
me, has demonstrated beyond ques-
| ton the wastefulness Of this method
| Of production. 1t is true that in pany
| of our cities and villages the official
who depends on the salary received in
connection with the operation Of the
municipal property has figured out
! great saving and profit to the people,
but If a fair investigation is made it
will disclose that the cost to taxpayers
| in nearly every instance is greater
than would be charged for the service
| by private individuals or private cor
porations.
Fair Figures Show Sad Results.
If the cities that have embarked
upon municipal ownership and opera
| ton will make statement of the total
amount of money taken from the tax
payers and applied to the business and
| add to this the debts owing by the city
| on account of the business and then
make fair inventory and appraisal Of
| the property owned by the city in con-
nection with the business and deduct
this from the sum of the former two,
| the actual cost will be found to ex-
coed what it would have cost to buy
| the product from private individuals
| or private corporations.
In the last thirty years. during which
time municipal ownership has grown
| to its present proportions, the indebted
ness of our municipalities has greatly
increased. Our observation teaches all
of us that the municipality as an en-
| ployer gets less for it's money than
does any other employer.
Because some of our citizens may
make Il profit in furnishing to our vii
| lagos and cities and their inhabitants
certain things or certain services it
| does not follow that the municipal gov
( eminent should furnish these things or
perform these services. If so. where
| Is the limit of municipal business:
| Private Enterprise Not an Offenss.
The conduct of a profitable business
| by an individual or q private corpora
ton ought not to be considered an Of
Tense nor q misfortune to the COM
munity. There is no economic reason
that can be given in favor of waste
| full method of production, and such is
clearly the conduct of business by our
| municipalities.