Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1914-01-13
OWNERSHIP
VERY GOOO WHEN
ITS GOOD
ACCESSIBILITY of Owning Water
Works Depends Upon Pub
lie Confidence in City Gov
eminent, Speakers Say.

That municipal ownership OF pub
lic utilities and of water supply sys-
TENS ln particular i. desirable with
90 proViso was che consensus Ot
opinion ut the mectIur 81 the Cit-
ZcHs League Co discuss the PROPOSE
zion. held last night With fair ate
Tendance lu tho audtosium ot the
Central High school The provso is
that nn efficient and trustworthy city
administration is prime requisite
.of successful municipal ownership of
water works This conclusion was
arrived go Dos Prof Bennett 81 the
University Hcrmuu u WluRus aud
other speakers who participated in
the discussion
PITT Ross presided 900 the meeting,
feature being th, usking 81 mum
erous questions hy ryfsnns present
n.td their calculation bv others
The principal speaker 81 the even
ing was Prof e. g. Bonnet Of tho
University of Sew Mcyicp. who pro-
scented iu nm impartial way the results
of am apparently comprehensive IN
auiry into the general subject 81 tho
cities Prof Bonnetrs hearers SEEM
ed particularly Interested Ia his ac-
couut of municipal ownership sur-
ccsscs In European cities, whero
methods Of public control are admit
teddy most efficient The case Of
Dusseldorf Germany WAS presented
as striking illustration OF munich
pal ownership in its mosi satisfactory
form the gas works electric light
system. water works and street rail-
ways being publicly uuorated In this
CitN zee o. handsome profit ~ pus-
scldorf however. 1a Iu All German
cities. the speaker pointed out All ado
Officers ORE trained men
men who have made business Of
conducting municipal affairs ana
who are engaged as professionals IN
tho same way that eyporls are om-
ployod by private enterprises. Euro
penns endorse the municipal owner
shin plans thoroughly PROF Bennett
said and often express the greatest
surprise af what ther cal tho unhus-
incsaliko methods ln ,ueae IN so many
American cities fBecessfui Ger
man business man once said 10 Prof
Ronnott iu This rnuuection. "You
Americans clamor for business adj
minisiration. bot you giye away al
tho public huslncssos Lat are profit
able For instance SOU keep the On
profitable street department. but nj
low your lighting and water syetems
to he privately oporatod"
From his Investigations. PROF Bon-
nett drew tho general Conclusion that
success attended muulcI pal ownership
Of public utilities only in case whore
tho utilities were acquired under
proper conditions ami whore the ad.
minIsiratiye Officers wcr~ botn hon-
on and highly efficient Graft or
inexperienced MANAGEMENT invaria-
hly meant failure the speaker said,
and tho proper conditions for mum.
icipal owncrship could be- found only
w those c0mmunltlca In which the
standard Of citizenship vas hlrh
Rev liermon y Williams made
brief tank on he PROPOSE
ton ne believed chat while the
sentiment M the cliy s generally ia
favor df municipality pwned water
works the question is much more
complicated that merely that Ar
Williams snid that q was ~ flrei Inn
porinncc 90 get nhoui hulidlng up
a public sentiment iht win assure
nn honest aud efficient SEA of city Of