The Detroit times., 1908-04-24
s|O,OO0,0OO To own
PUBLIC UTILITIES,
WINNIPEG PLAN
CITY FIRST IN AMERICA TO PUT
DOWN IT'S OWN ASPHALT PAVE.
MENrs-RuNs PHONE SYSTEM
-suIlplNo POWER PLANT.


Ten million dollars TO rid itself OF
public utility corporations Is the pro
gram Winnipeg, Canada. has mapped
out for Itself. ----
Alresdy winnipeg makes and lays
its own asphalt pavement. TX also
owns and manages Its own telephone
company. IL furnishes power 10 its
manufactures. Now II purposes 10
own and operate Its own street cars,
10 own and operate It's own hour mills
--and. in fact. 10 drive every corpora-
ton In the city from business. To do
this IL will spend $l0,000,000.
IL viii be the first city IN America
absolutely TO own itself.
The following article. written 'espe-
ciaily for The Times, will be or In
tense interest 10 thinking people In
every city in the United States. II
tells how Winnipeg proposes TO run
itself.
BY GEORGE M. HALL.
WINNIPEG. Man, April 24.--Public
ownership in theory and practice Is
making very considerable advance
ment OF late in western Canada. and
naturally much or this progress oc.
ours In Winnipeg. the principal city OF
this new aud rapidly developing Sec
ton OF the Dominion.
Acquires Telephone System.
Among the recent transactions OF
much moment Ia this feld was the ac-
Quirement by the Manitoba govern
ment or the Bell Telephone company,
a deal which vas ratified at the win
ter session OF the provincial legisla.
ture recently closed.
This action was soon followed by
the provincial government OF Alberta.
which also purchased the Bell teie-
phone system In that province. and
when Saskatchewan shall have follow
ed the example set by her sister prov
inces. all OF the great territory be-
tween the western boundary OF On
tario and the Rocky Mountains viii
be under the public ownership plan,
SO far as the telephone system OF the
country is concerned. That other
public utilities will be acquired by mu-
nicipal and provincial governments In
the Dominion cannot be doubted.
Already there Is sharp agitation
for public ownership OF elevators, and
the acquisition of the railroads OF the
Dominion by the government has been
seriously and strongly suggested In
conventions OF the agricultural class
es within the past year.
The latest project of municipal
ownership Is that OF acquiring the
street railway system OF Winnipeg, a
proposition 10 that end having been
placed before the city council at it's
regular meeting March 80 The pro-
posal was for the purchase of the
property of the Winnipeg Electric
Street Railway by the city. and COM
mittee was appointed TO negotiate with
the street railway company.
Winnipeg owns and operates Its wa
ter works system, street lighting sys-
tenn, stone quarry, Are alarm system
and a plant for the manufacture and
putting down OF asphalt pavements.
as we'll as plant for the construc-
ton OF the granolithic walks used
throughout the city. In this connec-
ton II may be remarked that Winni-
peg is the first city in America to
have acquired plant for the construc-
ton OF asphalt pavements. Besides
these utilities Winnipeg has installed
a uiku ptCccuC Stt'f~t eNN
has voted 100000 for the establish
ment OF a municipal gas works.
City to Own Power Plant. =.
The largest OF the city's undertake
ings in the. line OF public utilities Is
the construction OF municipal power
plant on the Winnipeg river where, at
an estimated cost of S3,500,000. there
will be developed an aggregate OF
60. 900 horsepower for the use of the
Winnipeg manufacturers, for the
lighting OF the city. and for heating
aud all other purposes to which cleo
trical power may be applied. Work
on this plant has been begun and ad-
vanced a. far as the expenditure OF
about half q million dollars would
carry It. It's further advancement
may be very considerably affected by
the project OF purchasing the power
plant of the street railway company
situated at another point OF the same
river and capable Of developing some
80, 900 horsepower.
The question 10 whether the city
shall acquire a ready-made plant or
whether IL shall 60 on with Its plans
for the construction OF another plant
and have a rival In the field OF supply
ing power. light and heat, and that
rival strong and well equipped pr.