The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-09


| progress as race and as a nation.
There can be no competition between
business conducted by an individual
or private corporation and u 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 it
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 1t for
| the purpose of reward. for his own
support or even for the benefit of the
| public, is denied him. 1t Is socialism
pure and simple. One of the defini-
tions of socialism given by a 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 WastefuI Method.
The system of municipal ownership
and municipal conduct Of business not
only interferes with the liberty of the
| individual, but it is wasteful method
of accomplishing the purposes.
AS at present organized our munich
palities are wholly untitled for wise
and prudent conduct of such under
takings. 1t seems strange that, in the
| face of the admitted inetticiency 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
plex 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 a municipal leg
islatOr has become a 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 many
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 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
ceed 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 It's present proportions, the indebted
ness Of our municipalities has greatly
increased. Our observation teaches all
of us that the municipality as an en-
ploycr gets less for its money than
does any other employer.
| Because some of our citizens may
make Il profit i'll furnishing to our vii
lagos and cities and their inhabitants
certain things or certain services 1t
does not follow that the municipal gov
ernment should furnish these things or
perform these services. If So where
is the limit Of municipal business?
Private Enterprise Not an Offense.
The conduct Of profitable business
by an individual or private corpora
| tiOn ought not to be considered an of
fenSe nor Il 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.
! When our municipalities, in addi-
ton to supplying gas, electricity, wa
ter, etc, for purely municipal purposes,
such as street light, fire protection,
flushing sewers and sprinkling streets,
sells to private consumers it is engag-
ed in Il private business. The pur-
chascrs desire to buy as cheaply as
| possible. The nontaXpaying consum-
ers, if In the majority, can place prac-
tiCally the whole cost Of what they use
upon the taxpayers. What the city
fails to receive from the private con
sumers of the cost Of production must
be made good by taxation.
The Incentive Of Profit Disappears.
The incentive Of profit does not en-
ter into the dealings of a municipal
officer with the individual citizen Tex
cept it may be a profit from graft.
No business principles need be obServ-
ed. The next appropriation must cover
the deficit. How natural it is that this
municipal officer is liberal with his
constituent who is consumer and
shifts the burden upon the public in
the form of taxes! My own observa-