The Washington times., 1914-04-16
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.

The report of the District Commits
sioners in favor of the Crosser bill
for public ownership of the street
railway lines of Washington is 6
really notable document. Notable
because it is the official pronounce
ment of the executive heads of the
local government, and because they
are unanimous in making it. The
document states in summary the sub
stantial reasons in favor of public
ownership. States them excellently,
indeed, but no better than plenty of
other people could have set them
down. The point is that we now have
the local government authorities
committed to this progressive policy.
We are just entering on the ex-
pertinent of public regulation
through a public utilities commits
sion. There will, of course, be those
who will urge that this policy be
thoroughly tried out before any 9TH
er step is taken. That is, nowadays,
the every-ready argument of conser-
vatism against manifest destiny in
administration of public utilities.
They are going to be made publicly
owned; everybody realizes that they
are; but for some unaccountable rea-
son a great body of people who rec
ognize this as inevitable, yet want to
postpone it, and to experiment with
something that everybody recognizes
as futile.
Regulation means merely post
ponement. 1t doesn't mean settle
ment of the endless controversies be-
tween the community and the utility
companies. Instead, it means null
tiplication of controversies; it means
new litigation every time a new
regulation is undertaken; it means
another string of trials and appeals
and delays and compromises which
never settle anything right or finally.
Why should such a course be entered
upon, when the whole community
recognizes that at the end of that
course lies the inevitable conclusion
Of the matter: public ownership?
New York State established pub
lie service commission, in two divi-
sions, about decade ago. One di-
vision deals with the utilities of the
great city,, the other with those of
the State outside. There has been
plenty of time to give the system a
fair trial; and what are the results?
The New York World has lately
heen considering the results of the
attempted regulation of utilities, and
finds that the Siamese-twin commits
sion has cost the State more money
than the Interstate Commerce Com
mission has been costing the nation.
Think of thatl Yet the World enters
The solemn. protest that the commits
sion has given the community no
service worth while. 1t had brought
10 it last year protest against tele-
phone rates and conditions, and set
about to investigate and prepare for
the determination of policy. Its
proceedings became SO boresome, so
futile, so long-drawn-out and SO
manjfestly mere means to postpon-
ing action, that the legislature in ut
ter disgust took up the matter and
passed, right over the heads of the
public service commission, legisla-
zion to reduce the rates of the tele-
phone service.
There is no end to the long and
dreary road that must be travelled on
he way to regulation in the public
interest. In the very. nature of
things there can be no end to it. Or
ders must not be made without the
most complete knowledge, else they
will be overturned in the courts. The
full measure of what the public is
entitled to get, must never be de-
handed in an order of this kind, lest
the courts find excuse to set it aside
and compel the whole proceeding to
be started anew. There are a myriad
Of phases with which regulation
must deal, and therefore no end to
the delays, the wastes and the disaf-
fection that are incidents, to the con-
duct of a continuous performance in
litigation.
To condemn and take over the pub
tic service facilities of the town
would REQUIRE, doubtless, a long liti-
cation. But it would be a single liti-
CATION. When it was ended, the town
would have the utilities. There is no
doubt about that. The thing would
lie done all at once, instead of being
spread over a generation of bicker-
ings and quarrels.
Horrified toryism might throw up
its hands in horror at the idea of
public ownership, if public ownership
were exceptional. But it is not. 1t
is the rule, even in this country, as
10 most utilities-water, sewerage,