Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-03-06


Give Evidence of Labor Troubles.
III his pamphlet, supplcm ntary to
the report of the committee of the
National civic federation on municipal
ownership Mr.. J. W. Sullivan gives
many facts of Importance which were
rithcr not admitted to that report be
rausc of the objection of NJ. Q. mem
bers Of the committee or have come to
light since that report was compiled
Among these is an account brought
nearly TO date showing how the
claimed profits of the municipal tram
ways of London have been transform
ed by proper bookkeeping into heavy
losses:
London, which when our commits
sion visited 1t two years ago had of
ticially municipal ownership in full
swing, has undergone a popular re
vulSiOn against it. In the twenty
eight boroughs hardly enough munic-
ipal ownership councillors remain to
maintain a discussion. In the London
county council also the Socialist Pro
gressiye majority has disappeared, and
the opposition Is carefully looking into
the true financial condition Of the mu-
nicipal ventures so hopefully launched
in the heyday Of optimistic municipal
ism.
"If there was any one scheme which
seemed to its supporters certain Of
great profits 1t was that Of the London
county council tramways. Its outcome
to the present time may be taken as
criterion Of the very best that ram
pant municipaliZatiOn In London has
given to the world. And what aCtu-
ally Is the reSulti
AT meeting of our committee of
twenty-one at St Ermin's hotel, July
3, 1906 to hear leading representatives
of the municipal ownership movement
in Great Britain, Mr.. r. McKiDnon
Wood said of the county councils
tramways: The total capital is t4,S1S,
600. This includes the purchase mon
ey The sinking fund is about $780,
600 OF the f4S1S,00O capital we have
paid off f607 600 and of that t607 900
about f450O00 is sinking fund. We
have also put sum of f29O,OOO to re
lief of rates
"But, alas, on March %, 1908 a spe
cial report on the tramwayS, made by
the president Of the Institute of Char
tered Accountants and others. was
laid before the county council. In brief
1t showed that the E293,592 that had
been applied 1S9T-19O4 in relief Of
rates ought to have been applied to
making up loss exceeding fl,OH00O
overlooked in the councils methods of
bookkeeping on the displacement of
the horse traction system. Besides on
improvements undertaken or proposed
In connection with tramway schemes,
a substantial, but as yet unascertain-
ed, proportion of f3S7 ,43S should have
been charged to tramways capital ac-
count, whereas 1t was set down to the
general Improvement account, and on
improvements for the purpose of gen
eraI traffic a considerable, but as yet
unascertained, proportion of 1864, l21
should also have been charged to tram
ways capital account
"That is, up to March 81, 1907, the
lIOlluOlI county COulItIl IulIlN dS .,
stead of earning profits of $l,5OO,OOO,
We're anywhere from $4,OOO,0OO to &c.
600, 900 behind hand on the accounts
mentioned, with nearly another million
dollars arrearages on renewals and
central office charges.
Here Is one of the fatal flaws in
municipal ownership: BY an erroneous
oil nf bn pnnnrul Inunipt-
pal treasury may for time carry the
burden of low fares, blunders and lib
erality In generate come to disas-
trous end on n day Of Judgment liter
ally as sure to arrive as taxation. The
fatal flaw of municipalism is Ia the
tinances-that IS, deficits must be
made up by taxes"
One of the chief appeals Of NJ. o.
agitators to labor union men is that
cities are better employers than pri-
vate companies. Glasgow especially
has been held up as model In this
particular Mr. Sullivan, however,
presents figures which go to prove
that the tramWay department of that
city has great difficulty in getting
along with its men:
"In the seven electricity years of the
tramways, 1923, the total number Of
men leaving the traffic service alone
was 1872. OF these 1,22S were dis
missed and 2,3S4 resigned. In the other
branches of the service-the perma-
nent way force and the car works
force-the total that left through dis
missal or resignation in the seven
years was 5,S34. The grand total Of
vacancies, including the 3,G12 traffic
force, Is therefore 0,446.
The total number Of men employed
in all the tramway branches, by years
for the seven years lending May 81
each year., was: 1902, 3,224 1908,
3,3OG; 1904, 3,751; 1905, ALSO; 1900,
800; 1907, 4,06O; 1908, 1850. The
teaching of these various sets Of amaZ-
ing figures IS that in the land where
frequently job descends through gen
erations the municipality of Glasgow
loses its tramway employees at rate
equaling the entire force every four
years. The mOtOrmen and conductors
go at the rate of all hands in each
four and half years.
"These facts and the forestalllng of
unionizing the force through the obli-
gatory department benefit society
wipe out all possibility of the sfreet
car men of America clamoring fer
mOdel ClassoW's municipal ownership
81, tI,,,, AlrrnGJ