Evening star., 1918-04-01
Do Not Own il Cannot Control.

Do Not Own il Cannot Control.
Change from private to public owner
sAip Of Washington's street railways will
BE made only as last resort in the con-
vicfion of Its absolute necessity; and
snIy after demonstration of the impos-
sibility of securing satisfactory service,
under private ownership, strictly regu-
1ated in the public interest.
II resort to public control is compelled,
this control will be exercised by the na-
tfenal government as a war necessity,
and ~ the period of the war only.
Municipal ownership under the House
eommittee bill b not, ON the whole, de-
sirablc in the community interest, either
tenperarily rs 4 war measure or per-
51sneatly.
The bill reported by the House Dis
trict committee proposes in a nutshell
that the District taxpayers shall incur
. heavy bonded debt Of many millions
b order to buy the local street railways;
that the United States shall repudiate
Ill responsibility for this debt, abregat-
ing In respect to II the half-and-half
provision Of the act Of 1878; and that
the District taxpayers as the sole own
eTs Of the roads shall turn over their
Management and control absolutely to
he District Commissioners, officials who
are respoasibls to them in No respect
whatever, and In whose selection they
have no voice.
Unless compelled to do otherwise by
war necessities, why not leave matters
- they stand, since the public demands
for good service and reasonable charges
can now be safeguarded at the expense,
e necessary, Of the stockholders through
the Public Utilities Commission and in
accordance with the lawf Why should
Washingtonians who as stockholders
nslect the officials who control for them
tAeir property be deprived Of this own
ssship and control BY Washmgtonians
= taxpayers who after eonfscation turn
ever management and control Of the
1Foperty TO the District Commissioners,
sNkom they do not select and over whom
ttey have NO eontfolf While nominally
sAunacipal or public ownership is substi-
tuted for private ownership, is net the
tRansaction In its essence the substitu-
tisn Of alien. irresponsible control by
three men not chosen by the owners Of
the roads for democratic and represent
etive eoatrol by the community through
directors elected by stoekholdersf
The advocates Of municipal ownership
u principle who believe that the people
1T the eommurity should directly con-
1sel public utilities should be unalter-
ably hostile to the pending committee
Rropesition, for it violates flagrantly the
prineiple that the people Of the COM
nunity ~ taxpayers buying the roads
'ahoud absolutely control them. The
ill proposes that after tho people Of
1te eommunity have burdened them
nslves with millions Of debt to buy the
reads the absolute control of the rail
uays shall be turned over to the District
Commissioners, who are not chosen by
tho people of the District, who cannot
b discharged by the people if they fail
- give satisfaction as railway managers,
and who are responsible in NO manner
o. degree whatsoever to the local COM
munity for any mismanagement and loss
on their part through the blunders of
dAexperience.
fAsrs results the paradox that pub
- ownership of the locai railroads a.
ppsDssed means an absolute reduction
- the public control Of these utilities.
1his result should offend and ALLEVIATE
every sincere believer in the principle
that the people Of the community should
esatrol through ownership the public
utilities.
These contentious are editorially elab-
Grated elsewhere in The Star.