Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-01-22
An ILLuMINATINa REPORT.

N@1ton9t CIVIC fooer0eipR Commission
Shows the Impraetieabillty of Some
Municipal Ownership Theories.
An attempt has been made to belit-
tie the full committee report Of the Ma
tional Civic federation because II
doesn't settle offhand the entire cues
ton OF municipal ownership. Only
those whose knowledge of the subject
and Of the personnel of the commits
sion ID most superficial expected any
other result than the one which has
been attained and which Is, these crit
les to the contrary Notwithstanding, Of
the greatest Importance TO those who
are striving to solve this economic
question on its merits rather than to
get a snap decision favorable to their
particular point OF view. When It Is
considered that the eighteen men who
united in this report represent the most
divergent views on the question as a
whole 1t becomes evident that any
points upon which they concur after
their thorough Investigation Of the sub
Ject must be considered as settled be-
yond ordinary question. It may not be
amiss, therefore. to point out some Of
the more important OF these conciu-
sions with their bearings on the sub
Ject as ordinarily presented.
The American press. daily, weekly
and monthly, has been filed with &C.
counts OF the successful operation of
public utilities in Great Britain, and
the writers have dedlced therefrom
the conclusion that similar results are
readily obtainable In this country This
conclusion is entirely ruled out by the
commissions report, which, while not
committing itself on the question of
the success OF failure OF British opera
ton, asserts that the conditions of mu-
nicipal government In the two coun-
tries are SO different that it is not safe
to assume that any success which may
have been attained In England would
be likely to follow In the United States.
Going further along the same line,
the report indicates that the conditions.
both physical and political. differ so
widely In our own cities that compari-
sons between them are likely to lead
investigators astray unless all points
Of difference are given their full value.
Heretofore the simple argument has
been: "Smithtown has made a success
Of Its municipal plant. Why should
not JonesvilleT' This naive form OF
reasoning has won for municipal own
ership the unthinking support Of thou
sands whose mental training has not
accustomed them to look beneath the
surface. The report would be well
worth while II 1t succeeded in con-
vincing any considerable part Of such
people that the subject Is far more
complex than they had supposed
Again we are assured by the COM
that prerequisites or success
full municipal operation are an. abso-
lute divorce Of politics from the man.
agement OF the plants and the adoption
Of thoroughgoing business methods, !
millennial condition OF which there Is
no immediate prospect for most Of our
cities.
\ ltshas indeed been held that munics-
pal reform would result Immediately
from an increase Of municipal respou-
sibflity. The commission IA unanimous
IN stating IT. belfsf that such, q result
b mot to be- hoped for. and III copclur
sion n born@ out by he fhct that at
p1ssaeaEt the character Of tlls oEAcialssOS
uur various k1ties bears no, apparent
relation. to the magnitude 6t sununIcipaI
undertakings. except perhaps that 40 a
general rule Il may be said that the
argeT the field Of operations the stT0n-
per b the gAp Of the boss and ths
greater the amount .of. graft. The, coma
sets dsfde thit particular pO-
itical theory With me statement, eve
are, unable ID recommend municipal
ownership as 4 political panacea.s In
Jther words, Il concuIs In the teach
ngs Of the parable Of the talents that
infaithfulness in few things doesn't
Indicate a iikeiihood OF faithfulness In
more important things.
Taken as whole, the message OF the !,
to our cities Isl 60 slow
y. Don't be swept on your feet by |
iemagogues or Missionaries. for the
dsks are too serious to be lightly un-
'c--"Sr-s Tf - ~"