St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1914-08-14

has been favorably reported 20 the
house and Will be voted on this VIM
ter
The cIty of cleveland has sort Of
half-way city ownership Of her street
taIl va 3 now, and the plan has proved
an Immense success. IL proves thst
complete city ownership, the ocquisi-
tlon of title being made at actual phys
Zeal value OF the property, would be
even more profitable than the Cleve-
land experiment has been. for the city
OF Cleveland has undertaken to run the
streetCar system upon the basis OF the
full value claimed by the streetcar
company
When the franchise Of the Cleveland
Railway company expired In ig09-five
years ago-the city council granted -
upon the condition that all profits
above expenses, taxes, interest on
bonded Indebtedness. and per cent
profit TO the atucltholdera should 20
to the REDUCTION OF fares and the bet-
terment Of the service. That plan has
been In operation five years. Tho city
had the right to prescribe the fares
and the service. and To keep an auditor
In the office OF the company, with q
corps OF assistants, to check receipts
and expenditures,
The result has been M follows: first,
n fare OF cents was required, and
cent for transfer, to see N it would
produce the required revenue 10 not
only produced oil the money required.
but In one year put surplus IN the
treasury of 100000. Then the fare
was reduced TO cents and I cent for
transfer TO be rebated when transfer
was taken up. Aud now two tickets
are Furnished for cents Let any one
doubling this statement cut out this
article and send n 90 the mayor of
Cleveland fOr notification.
The Portland hallway. Light a Pow
er company last year took In xG.72a.7l2.
It's total expenses aud taxes were only
f3,2gS,Jip, 80 that over 90 uer cent OF
It's revenues were profits. IL the city
would take this utllity over at It's
physical value, az u ought to do. fares
would not be- over . cents IN Portland
The Pacific Power a iiRht company
0f Portland ana the Portland Gas a
Coke company are both owned by the
Maine. These two Portland utilities
lnat year took in over 81 2b0,OO each
while their operating expenses and
taxes were less than bali that amount
each. Telephone service under city
ownership would bc less than haif
what II N today.
Government and municipal owner
ship OF public utilities would reduce
least 500, and 60 each family OF five al
least 1880.
uovernmont ownership and opera
ton of ocean ships, such ns I have pro-
posed. would Keep Ia tile United states
the tah0. 100000 which now goes an
nually 20 the ocean steamship trust.
would futthef reduce the cost OF living
at least 81 per capita per year, would
give uH the greatest auxiliary navy
aud greatest force OF trained sailors
in the world. and would enable Amer
leans to travel around the world In
safety and comfort under their own
flag, and at less than one half the
present cost, senator Lewis OF tlli-
uois has introduced bill providing
for 100 government owned and Oper-
ated ships since l FIRST advocated the
Idea In the house year ugO,
Government ownership ana agricul-
tural asset currency combined would
eliminate the dishonest profits OF the
money power ana give 10 every citizen
am equal opportunity That, and moth
| ing short Of that. In what the people
! OF this country are entitled 20, such
Will they receive VI they stand by their
guns when the forthcoming battle
RACES Respectfully.
A. w LAFFERTY,
iaa-a6 Pittock Block.
(Paid ADVERTISEMENT