Municipal Ownership

MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP

The statement is many times heard that under municipal ownership of the waterworks Ann Arbor would find it impossible to keep the control of the plant out of spoils politics. This does not by any means necessarily follow, however. Evidence to the contrary may be had on all hands. There are various cities right about us whose experience with municipal ownership disproves this assertion. Ypsilanti is one of them, where there has never been any politics in the direction of the affairs of the water company. There has never been any scandal of any kind connected with the city supplying water to its citizens and they get water for just about half what Ann Arbor people pay for it.  And, of course, on account of the cheapness of the rate there are vastly more people in proportion to the population who take city water than there are in Ann Arbor.

Local application of the question of municipal ownership of public utilities aside, considering the question as a general proposition, it is probably true that but few of the American people were original believers in the principle. Circumstances and conditions, however, have brought many to the belief that it is a necessity, if we are to  escape the extortions of corporations and the corruption which attends their doings in the transaction of their affairs with municipal councils.  Thousands have come to believe that municipal ownership is the only feasible way of getting proper tariff rates and that there may be less of corruption without than with municipal ownership.  Professor H. C. Adams seems to be one of those who have found reasons for changing views formerly held on this subject.  In a recent article in The Outlook he says in illustrating his reasoning:

The franchise of the street railway in a large city is worth an immense amount of money, and it increases in value in population.  This being the case, there is every motive presented for the purchase of political influence, so long as the street railway remains in the hands of private corporations.  If, however, the city itself owns the franchise and operates the railways upon it the aldermen have nothing of value to sell, and the present form of political corruption at least would be done away with.

The beet sugar men have made a proposition for the removal of the differential on refined sugar and in this they are said to have the support of the president.  It is expected that this move will also command the support of the democratic members of the ways and means committee.  If the so called insurgents would only stand for what they have now proposed and not weaken when the test comes they could, with the help of the democrats on the committee, attach such a provision to the Cuban tariff concession bill.  The repeal of the differential would be to the advantage of every consumer of sugar in the United States and would cost nobody anything except the sugar trust.  The repeal of the differential would reduce the profits of the trust just that much, but it would not touch any other interest.  The sugar trust can stand this cut in its profits better than the consumers of the country can afford to pay the increased price caused by the differential.

With grade separation obtainable on conditions which have practically been offered the city, any aldermen who oppose it should be marked for private life the next time the people have a chance to vote for aldermen.  It makes no difference what their reasons are, it may be conceded that they are strictly honest in their opposition, but they are too narrow, unprogressive and conservative to properly serve the interests and demands of the city  It has been said by a famous writer that probably half the wrongs this world has suffered it has suffered at the hands of people who firmly believed they were doing right, but who were, nevertheless, wrong.  But Ann Arbor should see to it she does not suffer at the hands of such people in her city council.  Probably grade separation may never be so easily within reach again.  But the danger to life and limb is bound to go on increasing from year to year if it is not obtained.  Consequently no man, no matter how honest he may be in his narrowness and unprogressiveness, should be permitted to stop the advance of the city.  If the people who take the broader and progressive view of this question will but arouse themselves, those who are standing in the way of grade separation will not long hinder the consummation of this much to be desires step in the direction of making life more safe within the city.

It is now reported that the United States will turn over the government of Cuba to her own people on May 20, and that every vestige of United States authority will be withdrawn on that date unless there be a request on the part of the constituted authorities of Cuba for our forces to remain temporarily.  President Palma has been in Washington conferring with the authorities and on leaving expressed himself in the highest terms of commendation of the conduct of the United States government in freeing Cuba and preparing her for self government.