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About The Coos Bay times. (Marshfield, Or.) 1906-1957 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1907)
sm rgvwi'jrTtuuMmjariaiaaxnMsmm,twuKaBKM3 (Continued Horn page 8 ) llr, although thoio wtro inoic com plaints upon this score against com- kuiics than municipalities, of con duction of extensions, and tlio ox- ent to which the entire area of sup- ly was served and appliance!) car- led In stock for salo or rent. o cnaiacter and equipment of he plants Investigated Is discussed. lr. Mnltblo summarizes the rosult of his branch of the examination, say ni' It niinears that one of the cnni- Jiany btatlons Is inoro modern and fflclont thnil any one maintained by y n municipality; but It Is also true hat two of tlib companies aro inoro ackward and have n moro antiquat ed equipment than any municipality. f'pon the whole, tho, municipal under jklngs seem to bo ns modern as hose belonging to tho companies, ut not so well located or arranged, nd perhaps not qultons ofllclent. General Comment ly Mr. MiiHbic. In concluding his rovlew of the ro- orts of the exports,- Mr. Maltblo -lys: Tho opponents of municipal ctlvity have frequently tried to :aro tho British voter and to proju- Ice him ngainst the operation of ubllc utilities by local authorities y citing tho largo Increase in total idobtedness within tho last fifty ears, as compared with tho decrease t tho national debt. They have Minted out that tho local debt has lore than ticblod In the twenty-five (ears from 1875 to 1900, and that ic amount of local debt per 100 of iitablo valuo of proporty has doubled t the same period, while the nation al debt has decreased almost 18 per nt. "Over 40 per cont of tho local lebt Is for water, gas and electricity oiks, tramways, harbor improve ments, wharves, comotorlos, baths, orklngmon's dwellings, etc. In hery one of these cases tho debt Is presented by physical assets. Be lles, thero aro parks, street im- rovements, schoolhouses, almshous f, bridges nnd many other Invest ors which aro now being used for ubllc purposes and by which tho resent citizens aro being benefited. 'hat does tho nntlonal debt repre- ;nt? To a cortain extent public orks of present use and value, but Incipnlly war expenditures to guar lteo sUccoss in case of war. "Furthor, debt for productive un jrtaklngs, such as gas works, olec Iclty supply and tramways, has a alto different character from debt r schools, parks, prisons, etc. Th ttor do not produce a financial ro irn, however nocossary and valua- o'they may be. They may bo oven ore important than electricity orks, but the mere fact that they o not self-supporting places them a distinct class. The debt is a urden upon tho taxpayer, for he ust pay the Interest thereon as well i tho cost of maintenance. But In io caso of tho three public utilities are considered, it haB been thor lghly demonstrated that the inter- t and fixed charges aro paid by era or consumors and that In no In- lanco has tho taxpayer been called lion to make up any deficiency, ex- pt possibly temporarily, ana men b has been repaid at a later time. But this Is not all. It has been. jflnltely shown not only that the abt Is not a burden upon the tax jyer, but that the taxpayer gets a aanclal boneflt from municipal oper tion, and therefore from the very abt which is claimed to bo a burden pon him. It Is not evidence, but it suggestive, that the local rates tax "rates) wero lower for every roup of towns when there was munl- ipal operation of gas, electricity, ! trams than whore companies were perating. British Gns Service. Mr. Edgar and Mr. Clark open lelr comments on the British gas tuatlon by pointing out that the prl- Jato companies supply gas at a low s' prices than do tho municipalities. hus, tho relatively small cities of ewcastlo and Sheffield got cheaper as from private companies than do ie larger cities of Manchester, Blrm- lglram or Glasgow. The difference i cost per ton of coal does not ex laln this difference In tho selling inco or gas, according to the revlew jWrs, who find that tho greater ef- cloncy in management and In oner s'' In selling the by-products has uich to do with tho lower prices. ho sorvlco given tho consumer by fio private companies Is declared to o superior to that given by tho 'ties, although it is pointed out that to Investigation of tho candle power 1 the light supplied was Incomplete" n the municipal -plants because oft ae declination of tho authorities to fermlt tho exports to make full ex- winntlon. "Tho whole question of tho quality of the product of the municipalities Is In doubt," say tho rot lowers. "Tho members of tho Commission and tho oxperu who nio famlllnr with gas, and photometry tee no es cape from the conclusion that the above facts show that tho service of the municipalities h not what it Is i-lnlmod, that tho municipalities aui unwilling to huvo tho actual quality of th lr fcorvlco detei mined by inde pendent and competent authorities, and that tho gas supplied by private companies is much supeilor In candle power to that supplied by municipalities. ipjiyLQQQgBAY TIMES, MARSH FIELD. flRFfinm, siiiunAV, ni Y ?1, 1907 ti "The apparent Indlffeionco to Il luminating valuo on tho part of municipalities Is tho more romal-ka-blo when wo consider the relatively small additional cost of an added candle power. Their failure to make tho b03t icasonably possible gas for their consumors Is consistent with their failure to glvo their consumers tho facilities and attention that aro areorued by tho companies. We aro not discussing questions of candlo power versus price. It Is no part of our d;ity to dctcrmlno whether a company or municipality is wise to lower the illuminating valuo of its product, that It may bell at a lower price." . Fiiinnrial. Considering tho general gas ser vlco, from a financial standpoint and with a vlow also to tho character of tho sorvlco given and tho mainten ance of plants, Mr. Edgar and Mr. Clark declare In favor of the private companies. They find that appar ently tho citizens of municipalities operating gas plants are not serious ly concerned with tho operation; do not regard the operation of tho gas plant as a matter of general Interest, and do not take that Interest In it which Is advanced as one of the argu ments' In favor of municipal owner ship and operation. The lack of In terest In municipal plants Indicates a general lndifferenco on tho part of tho public to a condition that they tolerate because they know not how to remedy. "On a superficial view," continue tho reviewors, "the fact that munici pal undertakings contribute some of their earnings to the city treasury, and thus aid in reducing the tax rate, seems an advantage gained by that method of operation. Leaving aside tho question of Injustice Involved by a system of relieving tho taxpayer at the oxpense of the gas consumer, let us examine, in tho municipal plants investigated, what would' have been the effect If tho companies' prices had prevailed. "Glasgow cannot enter into this comparison, because that city has been, for many years, prohibited by Act of Porllament from applying any of the profits from Its gas undertak ing to the common good. London Is omitted because of Its widely differ ent conditions. ''In the year covered by this In vestigation, If, In the city of Birming ham, the Newcastle price of gas had prevailed, the consumers would have been 262, GOO better off; if tho Shef field price Imd provalleJ, the Birm ingham gas consumers vould have saved 350,900. The amount paid by the Birmingham gas undertaking into tho common good was 69,813. So it seems that this city is playing a losing game with Its municipal plant; It Is mulcting its gas consumers from 250,000 to 350,000 a year In order that It may help out the municipal treasury with a paltry 70,000. "In the case of tho Manchester, If tho Newcastle price had prevailed, the gas consumers would havo saved 47,500; at Sheffield's price they would havo saved 111,300. Tho amount contributed to the city treas ury by the gas business was G0,000. "In the case of Leicester, at New have saved G2,200, while if Shef field's price had obtained they would havo saved 90,500. Tho amount contributed by the gas business to the common good was 43,4CC. Electric Lighting. The examination of tho electric lighting systems of Great Britain, both municipal and private, shows, according to Mr. Edgar and Mr, Clark, that municipalities In Eng land, though said to be much better governed than aro those In the Unit ed Statos, are by no means as well adapted for commercial operation of an electric lighting pla"nt as are pri vate companies controlled by men of average honesty and ability whose training and initiative aro given fully scope. "It appears," they add, "that so far as the prices charged aro con cerned tho system of municipal own ership and operation of electric un dertakings In England has given its advocates no reason for feeling ashamed or elated, but that so far as extending tho benefits of electric light and power and so far as pro gresslvoness in developing the Indus try so as to give tho best possible service aro concornod, It has shown Itself to bo entirely outclassed by the system of private operation." General Comment by Mr. Edgar nnd Mr. Clnrk. Messrs. Edgar and Clark In closing their levlow summarize their opin ions ns follows. "Tho efforts of tho .National Civic federation hare resulted In a Com mlstlon of Americans, whoso first In tel est In this invc ligation, as In all else, is to do what they may to pre serve and continue tho American idea nnd Amorlcan institutions,' believing that the high slate of civilisation and of prosperity In America justify tho American Idea and tho American method, and place the burden of proof heavily upon thoso who would tay another idea and another method would result in improvement In tho condition of the people. "Believing this to be tho thought and intent of tho membership of tho Commission and of tho Committoo subordinate to it, wo still believe that there are ills in the American body politic that may be remedied or cured. Wo believe that the remedy should be applied and the cure ef fected without any unnecessary de parture from the American Idea and tho American system. Wo believe that tho framework upon which may lie omit purity oi administration and the highest possible good of the citi zens Is in existence with us, and that It Is not necessary, in tho effort to cure the ills from which tho body politic may be suffering, to destroy that body. We submit that, living In a land where peace and prosperity are tho common lot, we must be very cautious of change. This does not mean that where abuses are found to exist they should not be promptly and mercilessly eradicated, but it does mean that changes In system should bo undertaken only after con clusive proof that such changes will result in bettering the condition of tho individual. We had better bear tho relatively few Ills we have than subject ourselves to unknown condi tions that may bring In their train greater ills of which we do not know. "Our investigation has determined with certainty many heretofore moot ed questions. It indicator the proba bly correct answers to other mooted questions. Where tho facts aro clear and the conclusions evident our task has been to summarize and Indicate. Where thero is remaining uncertain ty as to facts, and conclusions are not evident, wo have made an effort to determine the probabilities. .This has resulted In arguments based on such facts as our inevstlgators have rocorded, and on our own experience as operators and observers. "We believe no intelligent reader of tho voluminous record of tho Com mission's work will fall to conclude that It clearly proves municipal own ership to bo productive of many and serious Ills, with little or no compen sating good. "The writers of these chapters, agreeing we believe with tho other members of the Committee of Twenty-one, that public service companies should reasonably be regulated and afforded the protection that comes with regulation, and appreciating that the committee was not appoint ed or constituted to consider methods of regulation, nevertheless desire to record their opinion, that some form of regulation of private companies should be adopted in each of the United States. What that form should bo this Commission Is not prepared, by any Investigation or any study It has made, to suggest. "Finally, we who stand In oppo sition to municipal ownership, speak ing, we believe, for all Individualists, arraign tho nrroganco of many of Its advocates In assuming that they ex clusively occupy the field of reform In dealing with the problems con cerned, and that they are the sole promoters of measures of economic Improvement In municipal affairs. We assort that the opponents of municipal Ownership and operation, firm and consistent supporters of Justice, are the class seeking the pub lic welfare Intelligently and In ac cordance with American principles. On this point we do not yield ot any body of men. Wo seek, as a first principle, to Insure to every man his own. In doing so, and In endeavoring to prcitoct the public against oppression and error, wo find It our duty to demonstrate the errors In tho schemes of munlclpallzers and Socialists and to warn against the op pression that they threaten. We are resisting efforts to put burdens on the backs of tho American people. We cannot and will not remain silent while the attempt Is made to thrust costly and Impracticable projects up on customers of the public servlco corporations and upon the public at large. Wo know tho truth will out. We aro confident that ultimately tho American people must appreciate at their value the unsoundness of the arguments of tho municipal soclnl-l lsts. We shall aid in hastening the day when our fellow citizens will know through discussion what tho public of London have been taught by bitter experience, London has awakened to the perils of municipal ization, as is evidenced by Its verdict In the recent borough and county elections. In that great city the munlclpallzers havo led tholr fellow citizens astray, and their dupes, find ing it out, have administered to their false guides an overwhelming rebuke. "Wo indivldunllbts aro not seuitlng to icati the people In strange paths; I our aim is to keep them in the paths thoy have heretofore trod; paths well known, along which the Ameiican puoplo have marched to hoights of prosperity and civic development not known heretofore to tho civilized woidl. Along these paths have been stumbling blocks. Our opponents aro cndeavoilng to persuade us the sole responsibility for theso stumb ling blocks rests upon tho public ser vice system, to be lemedied only by a change of system. TI1I3 wo deny. Wo aie patiently studying the ways of justice; niuniclpalizers advocate experimenting, at enormous cost, with public funds, with the principles of liberty and with tho Institutions of our country. In this wo stoutly re fuse to take part. We are conserva tives In believing that It Is better to adhere to old and tried methods based on our accepted national prin ciples; but radicals in the determina tion to discover and to sternly rebuke and rectify any Injustice which may have been developed by the present system. As it has always been tho function and duty of government to insure that Individuals shall deal justly with their fellows, it is now the function and duty of government to protoct the governed against in justice on tho part of these associa tions of Individuals working under tho name of public service corpora tions. Any government that Is too feeble or corrupt to control with jus tlco tho conduct of a public service corpoiatlon, has little prospect of, be ing able itself to supply such public sorvlce with efficiency and justice. Our duty is to elect to office men who have the Intelligence and Integrity to govern efficiently, honestly nnd just ly; men who can and will curb the unjust aggressiveness of the individ ual, or of the voluntary association of individuals, and who can and will compel each to bear its share of tho burdens of government, and give jn price, service and otherwise a proper consideration for special privileges enjoyed. Our nation is what she Is Industrially and commercially and In world politics because of the Ameri can character, developed by the most absolute Individualism, and because of the American corporation, devel oped under a government that gov erned but did not trade. Our duty is to conserve the human agencies that have made our country what It I the adventurous individual and voluntary association but not to lot them bo our masters. This is the confession' of faith of tho antl-muni-cipalizcr the anti-socialist." Fiist Baptist. D. W. Thurston, pastor. 10 a. m., Sunday school, Alva Doll, superintendent. 11a. in., iimii mini miwiH'iii mi Llfo." 7 p. m., Young People's ser vlco, Claude Stutsman, leador. 8 p. m., sermon, "Assured Peace.". Spec ial music by the choir, under direc tion of Prof. Geo. Ayro. Prayer meeting on Thursday evening Cat 8 p. m., subject, "The Seventh or First Day." Everybody, especially stran gers, aro Invited to all services. sermon, "The Secret of a Happy "Come and wo will do thee good. Pcasaftgrmwgractttrgn &2iizzntrr3rrKnmu,'M i&aaujgagagEcncq yeiitsBsiKaaaaaxsasaasat naa sj jrjg.'.w., -.fniiifii 1 r iriTivaazat-.ii,...,au"Trnnii IggwaBmnggaamECingmg ummm S DIAMONDS Watch Fine Embl an Jewelnr ra kaooa H. S. TOWER Jeweler and Engraver. C J?' Ss J itnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmmm tt 1 Earnest Gabler & Bro. Piano i tt - 8 8 tt tt 8 8 8 tt tt 8 8 n n it n xx XX XX XX XX Never in tho history of tho piano business has thero been a piano that has given greater satisfaction than tho V i GABLER Never in tho history of thisfctato will thero bo a piano that will acquire such a household nalne and become so firmly intrenched in tho hearts of tho people asho ABLE 'W PC Demonstrated fact is logic. Sound common sense is Good business judgement is the Logic is sound common sense Good business judgement Purchase of a reliable piano.v tt ' i 8 tt tt tt tt tt 4 v tt Jrt3 Wo aro solo representatives for tho EARNEST GABLER & BROTHER PIANOS. Established 1854. W. R. HAINES MUSIC COMPANY C Street, three doors west of Front. ,UXtXXXXXXXXi xxxxxxtxxxxxxxxxttxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxtxxxxxxxtxxxxxxxxxxtxxxxxr o it 1- t T c