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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
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DIAMONDS
Watch
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Jewelnr
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H. S. TOWER
Jeweler and Engraver.
C J?'
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1 Earnest Gabler & Bro. Piano i
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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
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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
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Wo aro solo representatives for tho EARNEST GABLER & BROTHER PIANOS.
Established 1854.
W. R. HAINES MUSIC COMPANY
C Street, three doors west of Front.
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