Evening journal., 1913-07-30
PROFIT FOR CITY
FROM UTILITIES
Mayor Of Glasgow Tells Of
Success Of Public Owner
ship in Scotch Municipality

PHILADELPHIA, July SO--Pay-
ing a flying visit to this city yester-
day. Frank l. Cohen. master Of pub
lie works and councillor of the city
Of Glasgow, Scotland. and member Of
OF the Royal Humane Society, in the
brief space of a few hours managed
to gather impressions enough of
Philadelphia to warrant him in ex-
pressing the opinion that this is the
most truly American city of any that
he has visited And Mr.. Cohen has
been touring this country quietly for
several months
Mr. Cohen being the highest cleo
tive official of Glasgow. his office
practically corresponding to that OF
Mayor Blankenburg called at the City
Hall Immediately upon his arrival
from Atlantic City, to pay his re-
spects to Mayor Blankenbrug. In the
absence Of the mayor, Mr.. Cohen was
received by City Statistician Cattell
and taken for a tour of the city in
an automobile
While dining at the Ritz-Carlton
in the evening Mr.. Cohen talked Of
his impressions of this country. Glas-
gov is the leading city in the world
in municipal ownership Of public
utilities. and Mr.. Cohen was asked
as 10 how the nlan was working out.
Citys Profit in Utilities
''ln a very few years, at the present
rate of progress, he said there will
be no necessity for any kind. OF mum i-
pal taxation in Glasgow The earnings
of our street car system, our electric
lighting plant. our gas plant. our water
works, our market houses and our many
other forms of public service are so
great that the city government is al
most self-sustaining now
"How about the charges for the vari-
Gus services 9"
"Nery much lower than in this coun-
try For instance. we thought the
Westinghouse Company was charging
too much for electricity. The City
Council after trying for a long time to
buy the plant, constructed a municipal
lighting plant We now light an ordi-
nary workngman's home, using four or
five lights, for one smiling a month-25
cents of your money I'm our trolley car
system the fares are regulated by the
distance travelled. but special rates are
made for working people, and he ave-
rage workman can ride to and from his
work for about two cents of your
money. In your country it costs a
blind man and his guide 10 cents to ride
on q street car. We carry them for
nothing. At our municipal wash houses
the housewife can have her weeks laun-
dry done by machinery in one hour at a
cost Of two cents. your money. soap in
cluded. And so on all through the list
How about the cost of living Mr.
Coheng"
Meat S8 Per Cent. Cheaper.
Well. here is a fact that / know
from personal investigation can
buy the same meat in Glasgow for 80
per cent less than You pay here in
Philadelphia-Chicago meat at that
"How do you account for that?"
"By the. fact that the city fixes the
price at which meats and all provis
lions shall be sold in the municipal
markets. Butchers or meat packer.
may ask any price they wish outside
/ of the municipal markets, but the
competition keeps the price down"
Asked if he had gathered any points
in this city that would be Of use Il
/ him at home Mr.. Cohen replied that
in one respect at least Philadelphia
was similar 10 Glasgow. the care taken
of the masses rather than the classes
He thought that Philadelphia was su-
Ipreme among American cities in this
respect. He also Liked our trolley
system and projected subway and
thought the one-fare plan a good one
He had word of praise for the alert
mess of our policemen because of an
illuminating personal experience with
big traffic cop.
His Experience With q Cop.
Thinking to hatter the bluecoat, Mr.
Cohen preceded a request for direc-
/ ton to a certain point by. praisins
/ the beauties Of some of the skyscrap-
lers around Broad and Chestnut
streets. The officer listened to the
rolling RS a moment and then calm
lly remarked:
Can the hot air. Scorty, and tell
us where the - you want to go?"
Mr.. Cohen has been a member OF
the Glasgow Council IA years. None
of the city's elective officials receive
ANY remuneration, but in spite of thai
Mr.. Cohen insisted that graft, as we
know it here, does not exist there
/ Mr. Cohen left for New YORK last night
and will sail For Scotland next week
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