Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-11-10

TOT tnc TupilS--F bDilS NOhNfOl anu
Private Operation the True Solution.
BY HUBERT S. wYNKooP. NJ. E.
The pendulum has swung from
apathy toward public utility corpora
lions to on intense interest in curbing
them-even to the extent of taking
over their functions to be admins
tered by the municipality. During the
past few years a mass of argument
md testimony on this question has
been contributed by publiclsts, con-
servative and otherwise, and by dema-
gogues, ignorant and otherwise. To
This 1 add my quota, having had thir-
been years experience as a municipal
engineer in close contact with the en-
gineers of the public utility corpora
fions.
"Public utilities" is a delightfully."-
satisfying term on account of its
wagueness, its definition depending
largely upon the state of mind of the
populace. For this reason it appeals to
every one, be he interested in good
government or bad. and it includes
water, gas and electric works, street
railways, telegraphs, telephones, fer
ries, push carts, markets, banks and
even lotteries-according to the time
and place.
Whatever may be the verdict as to
the more doubtful activities, it seems
TO be pretty well agreed that the sup
plying of water, gas and electricity,
street railway transportation and fer
riage are public utilities and therefore
require public regulation" or own
ership."
In this all of the people stand sub
stantially on one platform-an ade-
quate return for franchise privileges
and good service for a fair price.
But as to ways and means opinions
diverge widely.
Briefly as this platform may be stat
ed, it's fulfilment requires an elaborate
knowledge of social economics, en-
gineering. finance, law and local con-
ditions. The solution of the problem
may develop along one of three lines:
/. Regulation.
III. Municipal ownership and private
operation.
III. Municipal ownership and NUM-
cipal operation.
l.-ReguIaton.
When a community is the fortunate
possessor of a regulating body com
posed of men of a high honor and in
telligence the problem is solved for all
those who are not seeking personal ag-
grandizement In Massachusetts pub
lie utility stocks have become or are
becoming a safe investment.
Theoretically regulation offers the
maximum of result with the minimum
of disturbance of existing conditions
SJnder wise laws, therefore. and in the
hands Of able men it holds itself less
open to adverse criticism than either
of the other methods.
The corporations, too, are generally
in favor of some kind of regulation.
In the present distrust of all corpora
lions the inflamed mind gives no Gre
dence to any statement that may ema-
nate from a corporation, although the
same mind will confidently accept an
identical statement if issued from the
Office of q regulating commission
which has proved itself trustworthy.
lI.-Municipal Ownership and Private
Operation.
Next after regulation comes the plan
of serving the franchise rights by the
city itself. which undertakes its own
construction and rents out the right to
operate The rentals provide an ade-
quate return for the use Of the public
domain, and the terms of the lease sup
ply the desired features of regulation
a good service at a fair price.
1t is claimed that this method retards
development by preventing speculative
construction. as the city must confine
fits energies to the so called legitimate
finance. On the other hand. it is ar
gued, the city ought to be able to in
dulge in speculative construction when
ever the public welfare demands it.
The rapid transit subway in New
York affords a good opportunity for
studying the practical working of this
plan.
lll.-MuniciPal Ownership and munlc-
ipaI Operation.
There are those, however. who can
not rest content with halfway meas
ures To these and to the politicians
the idea of municipal operation is an
appealing one They point to the sue
cessful conduct of waterworks by the
city and argue therefrom that mu-
nicipal street railway, for instance,
would be just as successful. Perhaps
1t would be.
But success may be attained in va
riety of ways, and the best success is
that gained through economy. A city
might furnish the purest of water, am
pie in quantity ana sufficient in pres
sure, and yet an adequately regulated
corporation would probably do this
very thing more successfully because
N a Toxvar rates