The Detroit times., 1914-03-19

well as at committee and public meet
ings.
hut I have come across n situation
here In Rome. "the Eternal city"
When was here in the fail OF isc7
the progressive element had Weakened
M and put forward as their candidate
for mayor Sig. Ernesto Nathan. who
was elected during my visit. He was
an earnest advocate Of reforms-a sort
OF Roman Pingree--and set about TO
ACCOMPLISH them. When again here In
getting ready to launch municipality
owned street railway lines In competi-
ton with the high handed corporation
furnishing the service or such service
a. II gave at high rates of fare. These
efforts were at last crowned with sue
cess, ard since my last visit To Rome
four ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lines have
been put In operation. with NTH In
sight.
Of~ cours che private corporation
franchises covered the most productive
rostes, but Sig. Nathan was not dis
his wisdom and the great work he did
for his city by his action. One OF the
city lines Is short one. or stub line.
from the via. 20 to the Mooiogisn,
two OF the other city lines. Prior
to the advent sof these municipality
owned lines. fares ranged from 10 Sc
(sone system). but with the city lines
runn<.ig at 20 fiat fare q. O.. no zones)
the private company was forced to re-
dpce it's fares on most or It's lines, re-
tanning the higher figures on n few
two or three--that could not well be
interfered with for some time TO come.
The rates OF fare are now on the pri-
vate corporation lines generally &c TO
and s another OF &c TO &c. But another
phase OF the effect of the NJ. o. lines
IL the industrial fare" Of lc between
a. m. and 3 a. m. open to all, with
stiii others mapped out, Mayor Nathan
recently resigned In order to secure
much needed rest: He seems very
popular and sevs1aI !, c',zsn nays sara
had a talk with Sig. Nathan about
our situation. telling him Of the IT, >.
supreme court decision In the Forrest.
case. and OF the temper OF our people
the hands Of the n. Y. n.
"why did not your mayor put them
OF the streets when that decision WAS
explained that there was nothing
ready to substitute by the city In tho
way OF service TO accommodate the
ficatIon he answered just in the line I
had advocated before leaving h'Vne,
thus
only the lines on which the decision
was Ia sed but also OF all the other
lines whose franchises had previously
expired. You can't have war without
some one being hurt or injured. ana
but not for more than few days. un-
I'll the company saw your mayor was
in earnest"
Rut. I interrupted, we had no de-
cision I'm the other cases: and would
probably. have had to fght each one
seDarately.
Nonsense" replied sig: Nathan: you
till doomsday with such tacttcs; put
them OF: the city 10 good for any dam
ages the company could later show Il
dad mssn the TN. nsw %srs
and they had been declared trespassing
in the streets: Your mayor should
have proceeded at once. The great
ed his action. Besides. the city con-
trolls It's streets where rights have not
been bartered or given away, or where
previous rights therein have expired;
the company to remove as much or as
nttle Of its tracks per day a. was
because OF the city's action. Its equip
rlent might have been seized under
the police power and the people accom-
mo az much u ,Ss III.
way to do things IL to do them
DO you wonder I referred to sig.
Nathan as the Pingree q Romer
said that while he IL an ardent advo-
cate OF municipal ownership he 10 also
an ardent anti-monopoiist. and does not
believe In municipai monopoly any
was of opinion that competition by the
city on even terms--that 10. with equal
opportunity for productive lines a.
would secure better service and more
whole. IN this I disasreed with him.
II ssoa ns or sSs h people too
He then gave me a letter Of intro
duction to Prof. Giovanni Giorgi, whose
official title IL 'Capo. Ufhcio. Tecno-
words. chief engineer OF the city. !
had an Interview with Prof. Giorgi to-
day, and, az In the case Of Sig. Nathan.
lehman fS%na n amd obisns puSu of
told him what l wanted. much of 1t q
to have prepared for mo and at my
busy man. but cheerfuiiy gave me al
most an hour OF his time. AZ chief
engineer OF the city uncludtng the
municipal street car lines). he ha: nrst
and gave me much general Informs
as follows:
rails. eight inches deep and Weighing
1 10 pounds to the lineal yard--not quite
az deep as ours. but heavier,
They are laid on concrete founda.
ton, with an iron tie rod below or at
base. which permits Of the pavement
being laid diagonally. though In some
cases In the outer sections Of the city,
whsTs sc are hisnsr acme Cases 'G IN
last named sections the tracks are laid
directly on compacted sand ana have
been found to do well.
The capital Invested In the present
CITY lines for construction and equip
ment. IL 100000 tire.
After paying all costs OF mainten-
ance and operation, interest on capital
fund to pay bonds at maturity, re-
newals, taxes same an private lines.
etc, out Of the 1c and &c nat fares I
the surplus was simply enormous"
(his own words).
Conductors and motormen are paid
what to us seems ridiculously low
wages, yet In keeping with the wages
here paid to mechanics and other
workmen. asked why they we're not
better paid when the net profits OF the
what became OF those profits. TO this
"The surplus is divided between the
employees and the city treasury"
managers" I asked
.'The general manager Is paid q sal
airy OF 10000 lire H2.40O) per year and
gets in addition percentage Of the
net result. which adds about as much
more" he replied.
I presume the conductors and motor
men and their employees. gain proper
tionately on their wages In the divis-
ION. Sounded to me something like
Henry Ford's profit sharing scheme, SO
freely mentioned In the foreign a. well
as the home press.
Prof. Giorgi told me that most Of the
private corporation lines franchises
expire In 1920: That some are held ut