Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-22
FREE HARBOR IS
ENTERING WEDGE
British Authority, Visiting Here,
Declares Public Control of
Utilities Solves Problem
SYSTEM PAYS IN ENGLAND
Liverpool Council Member Claims
This City Is Building Fast
and Building Well
SYSTEM PAYS IN ENGLAND

David F. Jackson, CONSERVATIVE
member of the Liverpool city council,
and representative in Great Brltaln OF
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
railroad is in Los Angeles, the guest
of his brother-in-law, Al Levy. Mr.
jackson is known in England as an
authority on municipal government.
He has been a member of the Liverpool
city council for several years past and
has made a close study of municipal
ownership problems. Therefore ne
speaks with no small authority when
he says that the present trend in
American cities toward the public own
ership of public utilities Will, in his
opinion, settle many vexatious gov
ernmental problems and settle them
right.
Mr. Jackson has made five trips to
America, the last previous visit hav-
ing been made in 1885, when he came
to Los Angeles. Last night he ex-
pressed great surprise at the growth
of the city within the past decade, a
growth, he says, which has had no
equal in his experience.
"You have not only built fast but
you have built we'll" Mr. Jackson con-
tinued. mo maritime city can become
great without a free harbor, and that
you have. No city that desires to be
progressive can afford not to protect
It's harbors and waterways through
system of public docks. You must
have an open door that always will
welcome the fleets of the maritime
world. You can establish no other sure
safeguard against the endless en-
croachments of the private shipping
monopolies that are ever keen to real
ize what an open door to shipping
means.
SHOWS HOW SYSTEM WORKS
Liverpool, the greatest of British
ports, has a population of about 100000
1t owns its own docks, its street cars,
its water, gas and electricity for both
light and power. Telephones at pres
ent are privately owned, but will re-
vert to the municipality in 1919. Our
street cars alone pay us a profit over
all expenses of from C 1000 to &50,000
annually. The municipality pays good
wages and we have no strikes. Posi-
tions are for life and are much sought,
removal being only for cause.
Through Great Britain generally
municipal ownership of public utilities
is regarded as the only satisfactory
method of control. Regulation is not
satisfactory. The utilities are for pub
lie use and are essentially mOnOpolis-
tic. Why, then, should the public not
own them? Here in Los Angeles you
have made a start in the right direc-
ton and you will not turn back. Even
Owens river water system is a colossal
undertaking, but you will carry it to
success. Your fight for free harbor
has been nobly won. 1t will cost
money, much money, to enable you to
reap the full benefits of that fight, but
do not doubt the money will be forth
coming. Then the other things will
come later"
Being a Conservative, Mr.. jackson
is a tariff reformer. He does not be-
lieve in free trade for his own country
or any other. The Conservatives he
says, have controlled the Liverpool
city council for the past sixteen years,
having a present majority of forty in
that body. Councilmen in Liverpool
are elected for three years and serve
without pay, the position being re-
garded as one of high honor.
Mr.. Jackson believes that English
women will win their fight for par
liamentary suffrage. THE movement
is constantly gaining ground" he said,
land the women will carry their point
ultimately. Already they vote in mu-
nicipal elections. What they want is
the right of suffrage for members of
parliament. Today any woman in
Liverpool who pays SO annual rental
can vote at any municipal election"
In addition to his important shipping
and transportation interests Mr.. jack
son, in partnership with his brother,
is head of a prominent Liverpool
banking house and his present trip
was undertaken in part to strengthen
his financial alliances on this side Of
the Atlantic. He came west from Chi
cago over the Milwaukee road, the
latest of the transcontinental lines,
and is loud in his praises of the cour-
age and foresight exemplified in the
construction Of the Milwaukee through
to the coast.
In the north he visited Portland,
stopping at San Francisco on his
way to Los Angeles. He will leave
this morning for Mexico and will pro-
ceed thence to Chicago and New York,
planning 70 be back in Liverpool on
Christmas.
Municipal economy is his hobby,
but he found time last night to divulge
one secret which has no bearing on
the proper administration Of munici-
pal governments. AL Levy he says,
was born in Liverpool and passed his
boyhood there. All rumors to the con-
trary Mr.. Jackson brands as fabri-
cations. Al, he declares, was once a
loyal young Englishman, which, how
ever, doesn't make him today any less
loyal an American or Angeleno.