Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-11-18
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
No Longer A Bugbear Or An I'm
tried Theory, But Recognized AS
A Sound Principle In The
Government OF Progressive
Cities.
THE CITY OF ANNAPOLIS
Wants Ownership And Control OF Its
Water Supply.
tEDIroRIALl


A healthy sign of the progressiveness
Annapolis and demonstration of
the wide public interest which our
taxpayers and citizens are always
ready to take in a matter of import
ance to their welfare, collectively and
individually, are to be seen in the SEN
timent aroused in favor of municipal
ownership of all the stock of the An
napolis Water Company.
We already have Sl0. 900 of the en-
tire SCI, $50 of the issue of shares.
$50, 900 being held by the State of
Maryland and s21,250 by private
owners. As the State has definitely
adopted the wise policy of disposing
of all such securities held by il, and
withdrawing from partnership in
this and like enterprises, the question
is forcibly presented to the city,
whether it will allow the control of
one of its greatest public utilities, the
city water plant, to pass into private
hands, or by purchasing the States
half interest in the Water Company
and acquiring the stock now held by
individuals, itself take over absolute
ownership. The acquiring of the
States interest is, of course, the i'm
portant thing at this time, for should
the city permit it 10 go elsewhere,
the consequences may be deplorable.
The proposition now engaging pub
lie attention is prompted by what APP
pears to be a keen realization by
our taxpayers of the situation. Rec
ent experience of the people with
the Water Company has not been
reassuring as to the future under
private ownership; it is known
that large Improvements should be
shortly made in the plant, and in this
enlightened day of the relations of
public utility under private manage
ment and the public, it is not hidden
matter as to where the ultimate bur
den of these Improvements will be
laid. The urgency of the present case
can hardly fail to be impressed upon
the minds of all our people.
Municipal ownership is not bug
bear, nor an untried theory. The pri
vate interests which have managed
the Water Company all these years
are not more capable nor more honest
than the Mayor, Counsellor and AL
dermen, chosen as they are by the ma
jority of the voters of the city. Mu-
nicipal ownership is firmly grounded
on the principle that the people are
competent to rule themselves. 1t
has become unalterably established as
a thoroughly practicable, economical
and satisfactory method. A public
utility upon which the health, the
comfort and the convenience of the
people depend so largely as they do
upon public water system is GER
tainly best kept in the public control.
The common sense of the average
voter-the touchstone of American
government--the interests of the users
of water and of the payers of taxes
will prevent any harm through "play-
ing politics" with city water sys-
TEN. There are some things that it
is the best ''politics" to keep ''poli-
tics" out of; and the people, with
municipal ownership of water sys-
tenn are in position to minimize any
selfish private interests.
As necessity of life, water should
be furnished to all users at the low
est possible cost, and the municipality
is, therefore, the proper medium.
Profits to private promoters are
taken from the pockets of the peo-
pie, and the public, owning the plant
and selecting its own chosen servants
to manage it, has only itself to blame
for poor or inadequate service or un-
reasonable rates. Municipal owner
ship is entirely feasible, and it is the
only proper ownership in this instance.
especially.
1t is to be hoped that the committee
appointed by Mayor Strange will 20
into the subject thoroughly, and will
speedily report plan for the city's
acquiring the State stock in the An.
napolis Water Company and for the
municipal management. At the
| proper time, the question of buying
the stock now in private hands shout
be fairly considered, and if any of il
is to he taken over on an equitable
basis and at proper price, it is ths
duty of the city to purchase it. Ant