Newspaper Page Text
bTHER NATIONS LEAb'US IN MUNICIPAL
OWNERSHIP OF PUBLIC - UTILITIES '
So Says Milton A. McRae, W ell-Known Newspaper Man
Who Has -Been, Investigating. English
Speaking Lands.
(Editor's Note. Mr. McRae, the well-known newspaper man, has just
returned .from a trip' around' the world, on which he visited the English
speaking countries. . He has, in all these places, made an investigation of
municipal ownership of street railways as it exists in each of them. And
-he has here set down the results of his findings especially for the readers
of this paper,)
1 BY MILTON A. McRAE.
. If any American citizen imagines that the .United States is the most
progressive of the English-speaking countries of the world in every respect,
he should take a trip around the world, visiting Great Britain, South
Africa, Australia and New Zealand. He will then be surprised to find that
the hue and cry for human progress has been responded to more vigor
ously in some of those countries than it has been in the United States
the most prosperous nation in the world today.
During the past, decade our country has awakened to the fact that in
the matter of municipal ownership and operation of public utilities, other
English-speaking peoples are far ahead of her, although the progress made
by American cities during the last few years in the direction of ownership
turn upciauuii yi luuuiuijJiti uunues
has been marvelous, especially with
regard to street car systems
In Great Britain I found that many
of the suburban electric lines are now
being operated and others beifig con
structed in'the suburbs of the great
city of London by various municipali
ties. As is generally known, Glasgow
and other cities in Scotland have for
years past owned and successfully
operated street car systems.
On arriving in Johannesburg, the
largest city of South Africa, whose
population, including the suburbs, ex
ceeds a quarter of a million, I was
surprised to learn that it owned and
operated its own street car system,
not only in the city proper, but in
contiguous suburbs.- The fares are
only a penny (two cents American
money) for each zone. The employes
are courteous and efficient, and are
employed on a basis of increased pay
each year for five consecutive years.
While riding on the cars I inter
viewed a number of motormeri and
conductors,' who expressed them
selves as being well satisfied. Many
of the employes have held their posi
tions for several years past, without
strikes, etc., and every employe
seems tobe constantly striving for
greater efficiency and better service.
In Hobart, the largest city in Tas
mania, one of the six states of Aus
tralia, I found that the matter of pur
chasing the street car lines was to be
decided by the voters on the follow
ing day. The result of the election
was an overwhelming vote in favor
of purchasing the entire system,
which was done.
In Melbourne, Australia, which, in
cluding its suburbs, is almost as large
as Cleveland or Detroit, the extensive .
street car system is owned and oper-
ated by a private corporation. How
ever,, all of its. franchises expire in
