Putnam patriot., 1910-07-22
pub,,c Utilities Made Successful.


 To most thinking people II seems mystery why city does not own anu control it's water supply, lighting, ana whatever else the people heed that In. dividuals cannot themselves supply | No one, or company, will nndeftake | such a public service with any uneer- tainty about It's pfotitableness. has An individual or company can do to make a water plant, lighting plant ana even n trolley line investment pay good profit, q city ought to De able to do likewise, or yield up to an indisidu- al municipal franchise to run the en- tire government and make all he can out Of II.
 | Birmingham, England. continues to run It's public utilities in way to earn A substantial profit. For the year end ed March 8l, 1910, the profits on the gas, street railway and electric supply l departments amounted to so62 ,s4a-an | increase of si8,2l2 over the previous 1 year. The street railway departmen, | made more money than before, in spite | of the fact that by shortening the hours of motormen, conductors, and other employees. the wage cost was consider ably increased.
 From a table prepared by Consul AL bert Halsiead, showing the growth ot | Birmingham municipal gas depart ment, II appeafs that in 1888 the aver | age net price of ga, was sI 2 cents, and the departments contribution to the city was Si@l ,2t2. In laaS.lo the | pfice had fallen to i5 eents, and the Il .paftment contributed s3e2, is2 to tlie city.
 | This k bat cue ease ot i'll any others
 Rut the eiiitsas of Birmingham have been ltainea in the management ot public aliaifs, in the interest oi the people, by some of the ahlest states
 mcn of the nation. On the Con. tiuent tho control ot public utilities eN the national and city governments is extended aud becoming mete and more popalat.
 | At the West, where the people donot submit to "ho>> rule, As they do ai the East, snership of public utilities by the people K being agitated quite generally and is being adopted in many
 places. \ notable instance of this pro- srvssiVe spirit Is witnessed tn the city of Milwaukee. X shtewd, elear.hsad- ed man of the people, an advocate ef
 radical reforms, but regarded as n cranky socialist hy the leaders ot both
 political parties, ran for the office oi
 Mayor and was elected, to the surprise if mol indignation of those who believed they alone knew how best to rule the city. Then the cry went up that now the city would ee turned into chaos,
 soh no. he replied, "i am simply eo- Ing te lry and correct the grating and other municips evils that have se long been permitted to exist, and To do il by existing law only. Expectation it'd not have to N alt long. Quietly. with. eut astentatious fuss, one after after aa. other of the well fortified evils were al. tackled and rooted out. When II came ;o granting licenses to saloons, Il was expected. of course. the Mayor would hc leaient with them ss they were all his supporters. Hut no--lss of them I were refused licenses because they had not lived up 10 the law. Soon thsre vas . change of. feeling among ths b<tr ter class, and ffom doaet and anxiely they realized they had an honest. up rixht Mayor, with ahallty 10 gov~ru the city In the inssssss ss she psopas. Nov. ronnssslng general conndcuce, he can bs sunof support tn aay reform move Dsns hs may sussess.