American municipal progress . any corporations trained public librarians of the United States furnish an ex-ample of technical skill and unremitting devotion to occupationwhich sets a new standard for both public and private the services rendered by some of our park and educa-tional systems is man for man, or woman for woman, and dollarfor dollar, unapproachable in private industry. Municipal ownership for purposes of revenue and service is onthe eve of its greatest expansion in the United States. As thespoils system is giving way to business administration, s
American municipal progress . any corporations trained public librarians of the United States furnish an ex-ample of technical skill and unremitting devotion to occupationwhich sets a new standard for both public and private the services rendered by some of our park and educa-tional systems is man for man, or woman for woman, and dollarfor dollar, unapproachable in private industry. Municipal ownership for purposes of revenue and service is onthe eve of its greatest expansion in the United States. As thespoils system is giving way to business administration, so willthe latter be succeeded by democratic service. Municipal Immortality There are more widows and orphans in every communitythan in any public service corporation. It is more importantto protect the whole of the coming generation than that fractionfor which corporation magnates are so solicitous. The burden on the future citizen of postponing public controlis one of the chief reasons why there should be a greater exercise. MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP 375 of municipal authority, even when the character of the officialsis such as to dismay sober citizens. The charter of the originalstreet railway company of Philadelphia gave the opportunityfor municipal ownership at any time. Every franchise exten-sion has made it increasingly difficult for that city to take posses-sion of the street railways. The same is true of many other citieswhich have been helpless because of franchise conditions, andsome of these have renewed franchises for periods of from twentyto fifty years without regard to the possible desirability of closermunicipal control. One of the cardinal principles recognizedby nearly all classes of citizens is that however little a city maynow be prepared for municipal ownership, a clause making thatpossible must be inserted in the new franchises for the protectionof subsequent generations. Yet this protection may be unavail-ing, if, when the day of reckoning comes, the city can b
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1916
