Public Service

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 Excerpt: ...than for the public good. Political pressure will be exerted on the legislature to secure grants of public funds for the benefit of particular localiti es as is now the case with the Public Buildings and River and Harbor appropriations A private system is held under strict control by government authorities, and users always have redress for grievances. Against the rulings of a governmental department redress is almost impossible and, if possible, is so slow as to be practically useless. Besides, it is always possible for an oppressive private business to be controlled by competition, but the government absolutely prohibits interference with its monopoly whenever it undertakes a public service. The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch is learning why municipal owned utilities seldom are what they ought to be. In an editorial published during the recent A. G. I. convention, the Times said: We ought to treat the municipal gas works more as a business and less as a charity. We ought to be out hustling for new gas users. Then we would save the inevitable loss that results from the actual use of our plant to only twothirds of its capacity. The superintendent himself admits that we could sell more gas if we had consumers. Then why not make more vigorous efforts to get consumers? Why not imitate the New York private company, that had twenty women demonstrators, who visited 88,000 patrons one year to teach them how to use gas and cook with it to better advantage? Why not have a showroom, where the housekeeper could see the latest apparatus for cooking, heating and working with gas? The private sellers of electric power in Richmond do not wait for their customers to learn of electric coffee pots and curling irons. They tell them of such inventions, and sell more...