Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-10-07

HOME TOWN
81 HELPS
WHERE GERMAN CITIES LEAD
Most Of Them Are Models of Eficien-
cy In Matter Of Serving Public
Welfare.

We Americans can profit by study
ing German street railway practise
and, indeed, all matters In connection
with public welfare In these German
cities. 1t greatly interested me to
find that while all the cities on the
lower Rhine had municipal ownership
and operation Of their street railways,
In Strassburg the railways are oper-
ated by a company. About the only
noticeable difference vas that the
Strassburg cars had advertising pla-
cards inside, which was not the case
with n of the c1ty-owned cars.
Strassburg, 1t will be remembered also,
is in former French territory, and 1t is
an interesting speculation whether the
franchise plan in Strassburg repre-
sents the prevalence Of French ideas
and systems instead Of German.
It is exceedingly interesting, also, to
recall that these cities along the lower
Rhine were prominent among the
places where in the middle ges the
ideas hat lie at the basis Of modern
democratic society first fo~urished. 1t
was these cities, growing prosperous
from the traffic of the Rhine, that first
became strong enough to withstand
the "robber barons" in their castles,
and finally drove them from their
strOnghOlds.
Far back, in the so-called wark ages,
the people Of these cities learned to
stand together for protection against
common enemies. They taught some
of the first lessons in democracy to
the world, and there are, 1 believe,
still other lessons that we can learn
from them with profit.
I do not care to draw too close a
parallel between the "robber barons"
who were overthrown by these free
cities of the Rhine and the "robber
barons'' to whom we in America have
bartered the right to control the
streets of our cities. l know that, Just
as in the dark ages many men would
have acted exactly like the "robber
barons'' Of the Rhine If they had had
possession Of their castles, so nova
days many of us would like to take
the place Of our street railway bar
Ons," and In their places would dc
likewise. AS some wise man said,
Human nature is pretty much of a
muchness."
The parallel that 1t does seem worth
while to Draw is the parallel between
what these German cities did centu.
ries ago in defending themselves from
the extortion practised by the robber
barons Of the middle ages and the ex.
ample they are setting to the world
today in showing how the public vel
fare may be promoted by efficient mu
nin3nol onfi0~ IN ~A0xS-- - 49,:
perience that it is not necessary to
pay tribute to "robber barons" of the
present day to ecure a high degree
Of public welfare.
AS we sail along the Rhine today We
see where alongside some of the OLE
cities their baronial occupants erected
chapels to salve their consciences anC
insure their souls against future con
fiagrations; but these did not avail tt
save them and their strongholds from
passing away with the evolution of
new civilization. On the other hand
some Of these old-time barons also I'm
derwent a process Of evolution. In
stead Of m~arauders, they became pub
lie protectors, and earned their Twins
by wag1ng warfare against common
enemies.
l do not think our modern "barons'
can thwart the process of evolution
by gifts of Libraries and picture CALLER
les. They may, however, by trans
forming their methods, gain salvation
like those old-time barons, who SUI
vived by becoming leaders In real pub
lie service.-Editorial Correspondence
Engineering World,