The Washington times., 1914-04-04
SUPPORT MUNICIPAL
OWNERSHIP BILL

UneQuivocally supporting the conten-
ton that public utilities can best be
operated when municipality owned and
that public regulation of privately
owEed utilities is well-Digh impossible,
the District Commissioners and the Cor
poration Counsel joined Congressman
Robert Crosser of Ohio in urigng Gov
eminent ownership of public utilities in
addresses 1t the meeting of the Park
View Citizens Association last night.
Insurance Commissioner Nesbit also IA
Vored municipal ownership of street
railways.
The element of private profit involved
makes regulation of corporations by the
said oliver p. Newman. president OF
the Board of Commissioners
That public service utilities in the long
run can be operated with perfect ef-
hciency only by public servants and not
by private individuals, was the view ex-
pressed by. Commissioner Siddons.- F.,
Revoke Its Franchise"
Congress would be upheld bv every
court iE the land If il would not only
curtail the powers of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company, but
revoke its franchise, and a good plan
would be to turn over the company at
fair valuation to the District of Co
lumbia, suggested Corporation Counsel
Conrad Syme.
The villaiLous deals and outrageous
operations of street railway corpora
uons compose the vilest stencil to the
nostrils of the public" declared Con-
Sressman Crosser.
The perfection with which the water
works are operated by the District was
referred TO by Commissioner HardiPg to
SHOW ms attitude toward public owner
SNIP and Insurance Commissioner Nes-
elt expressed a hope for the day of
iree passage on street cars.
Congressman Crosser said the weIfare
OF every community demands good sery-
ice by street railways. and that the
community health depends largely on
lne efficiency of the transportation com
panies He scoffed at the cry that mu-
nicipal ownership would result in q
pontical machine that would be a cor
rupting influence
i deny that the basic features of n
s.1eeI % railway company is their prop
run hundred yards without the use of
me pubHc's property, and no few men
should enjoy monopoly at the ex-
pense of the public. We give them the
opportunity to capitalize our property.
and we are compelled to be satisfied
with their chief products. which are
fares"
Chief Arguments.
The speaker said the two chief argu-
ments for public ownership were. first,
II The service is necessary to all indi-
T4ua!s. 1t should be operated by all the
peSee: secondly, the street car service
10 monopoly. and as such it should be
handled by the people who are most
vitality interested.
There has been some agitation
among the woman's clubs for the eIimi-
natlon OF alleys said Mr.. Crosser. ITO
accomplish this you first must procure
the ownership Of the street cars that
VIII carry the inhabitants of the alleys
out of the crowded districts and into the
open air. No private company will ex-
tend its lines until good return on
the Investment is assured. That fact
compelled Germany to go into muni-
cipal ownership OF utilities. and the
same thing is coming to America
Corporation Counsel Syme said: NO
stronger argument for public ownership
published interview of President King,
of the Washington Railway and EleC-
tric Company, that the separation was
a legal Empossibility." declared Mr.
Syme. The day is remote and the
time far distant when the public utili-
ties commission will take its law from
the legal department of the Washington
and Electric Company or its morals
from its management concluded Mr.
Syrne.
Elevators are operated free to the
upper floors of office buildings to make
the rooms uL there more valuable"
said Mr.. Nesbitt. street cars should
be operated for the same purpose. to
reach out into the outlying districts
to make the property there more val
liable. 7 look for the dav OF free street
cars, at least free to school children.
and for nominal fare TO grown folks"
Waterworks Example.
Commission Newman cited the ope-
ration of the District water works as
an example of public ownership. He
said that. in his eight months as Com
missioner. half OF that period was given
TO public service corporation matters.
while only thirty minutes were given
to the water works. The element of
private profit involved makes Impossible
the proper regulation OF utilities, he
said.
II WAS reported that the Torrens sys-
tenn of land values will soon como up
before the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations. Senator Gallin2ers bill elimi-
naung the Questionable features Of