Evening star., 1918-04-04
CITY OWNERSHIP
UNNECESSARY
Government Regulation by
Utilities Commission Is Not
a Failure and Should
Not Be Abandoned.
LOCAL RAILWAY RECORD
LOCAL RAILWAY RECORD
II.
THEODORE w. MOVES.

| Editorial Correspondence of The Starr
| Resort to municipal Ownership OF
Washington street railways should be
had only in the event that government
regulation through commisston proves
| a failure. The records show that gov
! ernment regulation of these public
service corporations has not been n
failure and should not be abandoned
without further trial.
! To justify assent to a twenty-five to
fifty million debt solely on the District
taxpayers in violation of the act of
1878. some mortal danger to the COM
munity must be thereby avoided, some
gigantic evil corrected or some su-
preme benefit gained.
What special conditions exist which
demonstrate the necessity of municipal
ownership at the capital. and of the
sequence?
Either by government ownership as
a last resort or by stringent ntfrn-
mental regulation Of railways sam
and electric) the sound doctri nast
be enforced that franchises CSspublic
utilities corporations are not gifts, but
grants for which compensation must
be made to the public. The grant OF
temporary use of the streets should De
accompanied by compensation to the
public for such use and by retention OF
power by the government to regulate
such use in the public interest.
Some of these corporations have
clamored that ownership and 'control
are inseparable. that the government
acquires ownership. But this argument
has been properly disregarded. 1t has
been held that the rights. powers and
privileges given to common carrier
corporation by the PUBLIC furnish the
necessary consideration for the reten-
ton by the public Of a certain control
of the corporations which 1t has created
and in effect endowed.
Public Regulation or Ownership.
II adequate compensation directly in
rentals or indirectly in especially good
service at cheap rates can be secured
from these corporations by govern
mental regulation without assumption
by the community of the responsible :
ties and risks OF actual ownership. such
regulation Is the wisest and safest pro-
cedure.
I If, however, a thorough testing DEM
onstrates that nothing short Of public
Iownership can in given case safe
guard the public interest, then the
people of the community must take
control into their own hands whatever
RESPONSIBILITIES and risks may be thus
assumed
Municipal ownership OF Washington
street railways should not now be con-
sidered, for the reason that govern
ment regulation through an independ-
ent and Impartial public utilities COM
mission. wisely created by Congress.
/ has not yet been thoroughly tested, and
resort to municipal ownership should
be had only in the event that govern
ment regulation through commission
proves a failure.
While regulation by utilities commits
sion is thus under earnest and search
| ing test municipal ownership, with its
responsibilities and dangers OF loss, is
premature and unnecessary.
| The records Of Washington show that
government regulation OF public serv-
ice corporations at the capital has not
been a failure and should not be aban-
doned In editorial correspondence OF
The Star in 1913. discussing municipal
ownership in New Zealand which I had
| recently visited, said concerning railway
DEVELOPMENT in Washington under gov
| ernment regulation:
I Railway Development in Capital.
| .srhe United States has been under
observation as the direct regulator of
steam and tram railways in Washing
| ton, the national city. In this District
under the exclusive control of Congress
| the national legislature In direct legis-
lation concerning common carriers at
| the capital has exercised effectively It's
| reserve power of controf-and its exclu-
sive power of legislation. In response
| to The Stars long and vigorous cam
| pnign against urban grade crossings
| and the discreditnble local steam rail-
| rond stations and terminal facilities.
| Congress finally abolished the grade
crossings. and in cooperation with
| broad minded and public-spirited Presi-
| dent Cassatt Of the Pennsylvania Rail
of Architect Burnham Zone Of Wash
| ington's greatest benefactors) substi-
| tuted for the rattle-trap stations of the
past as beautiful and useful railroad
station as can be found anywhere in
the world. So in response to The Stars
| campaign against overhead wires and
| especially its nGht against the over
head trolley for urban use Congress
bafhed the overhead trolley syndicnte's
desperate effort to get the capital into
its clutches, aud ON the strength Of The
| Star's representations concerning the
underground trolley in Budapest it In
effect compelled the use Of that system
| in washington, with the result that 1t
| is now in successful operation through
out practically the entire urban area.
| "A comparison of past and present
| conditions affecting Washington's rail-
| ways and tramways will bring even to
l
| of what has been accomplished in bene-
fetal development by the government.
| Railroad Conditions of 1888.
"In 1888 1 said in The Star Of the stu
alton in Washington:
| IAN urgent grievance Of the present.
| which grows more unbearable year after
wear with the attempts at growth of the
| sections of the city specially injured. is
that which arises from the conduct of
| the railroads entering Washington.
Their illegal occupation Of streets and
reservations and the damage and dis
! f,gurement which they unnecessarily
| infict are known. to. every reader OF
| The Star. These evils have been ex-
| posed in vain for years to the Congress
! Of the United States. The Senate Dis
trict committee has recently decided to
ignore them altogether. 1t Is not at all
! tracks, In part illegal. the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad dishgures,. obstructs
and endangers one whole section of the
city, and the Baltimore and Potomac
| road another. It reads with indiffer-
| ence the long list of persons killed or
wounded at the single piece of Illegal
track known as the Baltimore and Ohio
| " It hears only with amusement
that in the long strip Of land over
| which the Baltimore and Potomac road
Is permitted by grace OF Congress 10
rule with absolute power the people OF
South Washington nnd for most Of the
time an impassable obstruction. to
be, secured. q dangerous manffap. II
knows perfectly well, too, that In no
4 city of the world except In that one
I whose interests are in part epnnded 10
pnsinned e earSh E1GS5