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Show i 1 clarcs Every? CitpJSllilil W Control and i Profit by It ! Great Public Institutions. ; ; :The growth of the municipal ownership idea is' showing such rapid growth that such cities as New Tork, Philadelphia : and Chi-. y - .cag'o are rinTestigating: Chicago has already declared f or munici-' . - p3 ownership -of the street railway system,, while Tew York and,, .Philadelphia are fighting 'corrupt trusts. The following copyright t interriew-witn Andrew Carnegie is published by permission of W., . TL. Hearst: ' : ' ':' r -" ; r'-V-.-v ? .'.(liiia Cablegram ' is ' published ' bj J Tha Telegrani by special permission ' of tf; B. Hearst) j " f. ' . (Copyright,: 1005, by WT.'B. Hearst.) . (Special Cable to tha American.) t ; : IjONDON. May" 24. Andrew Carnegie ; -"received the American correspondent ' Monjdayln.the sumptuous suite, of ' thf ; ' " lAngbam hotel .whicb the Ironmaster always occupies when"4nT?indon.' Al-3 Al-3 v ' though Mr,a"rneg!froday Is hebusls ' , .-' .-iest man to the whole metropolis, he i- i tordlsAly 'greeted the :Amwlcair oprre-! oprre-! v ' spondent and tepbke glowlnglr-of the great -work aocompllahed-In spreading - .' -the gospel of municipallsation. J . j " ' Tor Civic' Ownership. ' .' r '.' Coming to the reat business of the in-i in-i ' terview, which was to' secure from the . steel . magnate an . expression of opin-1 opin-1 lv jt ion on h subject of municipal owner- ship. "Mr. Carnegie, resting: his head on his hands, closing bis eyes, evidently, pondering jon each word and speaking' with great deliberation, said: I v- ' ..- "Regarding' municipal ownership, it seems clear to mi that .whenever A franchise involves' the creation' of a monopoly in cityj no perpetual' franchise fran-chise ought to be given.' - 'v f 4A .city : should inTsjriaWy .xeswnre it ftBerslpiin. frsiichisej It wft lease it Qt short Bme'pn adrgnt. geous terms, hut should never part .with thetitie,-1, :r;vv;:x r Municipal Ownership. "''- ' ; , . -Take-the-New1 York subway.- There Is another great illustration., It haa proved already great success, and. is bound to be-enormously profitable as the years' roll by. , The city , of ..New Tork remains the owner, and our children chil-dren 'will reap the benefit of the Institution. Insti-tution. The surplus ; revenues which will accrue from the subway will be applicable to relieving city' taxation. - "So with gas and electricity. I do not know-any town or city .in Great Britain which does not own both. Whether the city . leases 1 these with agreed-dpon prices to be paid for gas j and electricity, or whether the city un-I un-I dertakes .their, manufacture Is a detail -THE GREAT POINT IS THAT A I CITY SHOULD ITSELF POSSESS THE GAS AND ELECTRICITY FRANCHISES." . . . , : "Do you .think that municipal - ownership own-ership of public utilities really tends to the purification of public life T" 'asked the American correspondent. t r - Tends to Purify. , . - Y. ' Yes," immediately replied 'Mr. Carnegie. Car-negie. Then.' determinedly continuing and waving his band In order. to impress im-press the fact be added:- - , "I am a great believer in democracy that is, the rule, of the people. I believe be-lieve that Institutions such as' hospitals, hospi-tals, for Jnstancei, are far -better, managed, man-aged, ff subject to city authority than when, as , now, they are subject'- to cliques. , . - v ' .' .-n ''There is nothing like the purifying purify-ing breath of public opinion blowing into all public institutions.' ; -, - , Public Jlanagemeiit JSmL-. " I See this clearly in Great Britain even. Their universities,' for Instance, are not nearly as well manag-ed -as ours, simply because the faculties manage man-age the universities 'here. and since each faculty is bound together, becoming becom-ing a solid body, resenting outside in-teferenes, in-teferenes, standing by each' other 'and preserving the old privileges, no wholesome whole-some reforms can be made.' v "This- became such a scandal in the Scottish universities' that the ' Government Govern-ment appointed a university . commission, commis-sion, and now matters are going better. Choosing between Irresponsible.' management man-agement and public management, I am certain the latter will finally prove fat purer and more efficient. . There will be abuses, but we can trust: to publicity to reveal and remove thent" j - Further than this Mr. Carnegie Urm-ly Urm-ly declined to go, remarking: , l must be careful to keep outside, of politics. I always' try to steer in ( the middle course between the two parties.": - -.-? |