APRIL , 13
PAGC 4
U;j Hcbraclicw Independent
TRIED PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Liverpool Years Ago Took Over the
Street Car Lines
Beyond all question transportation
occupies first place among the munici
pal problams now commanding atten
tion in Great Britain. Liverpool was
one of the pioneers in tramway con
struction, though it was only recently
that the municipality came into full
possesslonof tramway properties. Its
experience with the boasted English
conservatism is fairly typical. After
George Francis Train and other Amer
icans had demonstrated at Birkenhead,
a suburb of Liverpool, the practicabil
ity of tramways the city authorized
a company to use its streets for that
purpose. This, was in 1869. Four
years later the service was bo insuf
ficient that the city served notice on
the company to remove its tracks. Sub
sequently a compromise was made by
which the city reconstructed the lines
at the cost of the company. In 1879
the company entered into an agree
ment with the city under which the
latter purchased the existing lines for
$150,000 and completed various other
lines, leasing the whole system to the
company at a rental of Vz per cent on
the purchase money frOm the date of
construction, the lines to be maintain
ed at the cost of the city. In 1895 the
city made a lease to the company ex
tending until 1915, ' but reserved the
right to purchase under certain condi
tions. ;. - . ' ; -
, : Two years later the patience of Liv
erpool was exhausted. The company
utterly failed to properly manage its
affairs. Its rates were . extortionate
and its service worse. It absolutely re
fused to introduce mechanical or elec
trical power, and after due delibera
tion the city decided to " acquire and
operate the undertaking. Parliament
granted the power, and in 1897 the en
tire system passed into the , hands of
chase price being about $2,800,000.
the municipal authorities, the pur-
The city went about th6 tramway
enterprise in a thorough business way.
It proceeded to engage the service of
C. R. Bellamy, one of the foremost of
English civil and , mechanical engi
neers, a man fully conversant with
the science and practice of transpor
tation on both sides of the : Atlantic.
In two years' time the hundred miles
Df horse car tracks had' been trans-
TnrmoA in TMtHpn.l trnvHnrT nnri fn
addition there had been laid forty
miles of new track. j ?
The citizens were delighted jwith the
change. In the place of filthy, ill light
ed and slow moving horse cars, run
ning at long intervals, there was in
stalled a system which in all respects
compares favorably with the best mod
ern practice in the United States or on
the continent. More than that, the city
made a sweeping reduction in the
rates of fare.
It reduced the hours of its conduc
tors and motormen from eighty to
sixty a week and actually paid them
more for the shorter hour day than
they had formerly been receiving. The
private company sold the men's , uni
forms and received a tidy profit from
the transaction. The city gave uni
forms to its men and only insisted
that they keep them clean and in good
repair, so as to reflect credit; on their
. employer.
The first year of electrical .traction
and of a trial of all of those radical re
forms was 1901, and when all expenses
had been paid there remained a profit
of more than $700,000. The '- best the
private company, had been able to
- show with its high fares, lotf waees
ana niggardly policy was $184,000.
After paying into the sinking fund,
meeting interest charges and-getting
aside $175,000 for renewals and depre
ciation there remained a large sum.
" The profits for the second year were
$865,000, an increase over the preced
ing year of $165,000. The tramways
department contributed $125,000 of
this to the general tax fund j '
In addition to its : voluntary contri
bution to the general fund the munici
pal trani way pays its taxes-just as if it
were a private corporation. This prac
tice is common with the municipal
enterprises of all cities in Great Brit
ain. Municipal tenements and cottages,
municipal . gas plants and electrical
lighting and power stations, tramways,
markets and all other revenue seeking
Institutions pay not only city but also
Income taxes. Last year Liverpool's
tramways paid in taxes a sum. exceed
Jng $6J,000. The city owns the . elec
trical' power plant, but the tramways
department . was charged with every
unit of power it used, It therefore
stands squarely on its own bottom.
Almost simultaneously with its pur
chase of the tramways - Liverpool set
abbutto acquire the electric lighting
karid power industry. The private com
pany was a fairly prosperous one, but
parliament gave Liverpool the right to
H017 TOO BEAUTIFUL VJOM ESCAPED
PELVIC CATARRH BY AID OF PE RU fJA.
Female Weakness Is Usually Pelvic Catarrh. Peru-na
Cures Catarrh Wherever Located.
Mrs. Lizzie Redding, 8134 B Clifton Place, St.
Louis, Mo., writes :
"I found after trying many different medicines
to restore me to health, that Peruna was the only
thing which could he depended upon. I began
taking it when I was in a decline, induced by
female weakness and overwrought nerves.
"I began to feel stronger during the first week I
took Peruna and my health improved daily until
now I am in perfect health and enjoy life as I
never did before."-Lizzie Bedding.
viable: - y-- JVl I " v
. .TTT..... ..... xS uia
.V " - - imuzzjE
Mrs. MaMe Bradford, 13 Church street,
Burlington, Vt, Secretary Whittier Oratorio
Society, writes : -
"Peruna is certainly a wonderful medicine
for the ills of women. I have "... heard it
spoken of in the highest praise by many,
and certainly my experienco is well worthy
of a good word. -'
"I began to have severe pains across my
back about a year ago, brought on; by a
cold, and each subsequent month brought
me pain and distress.
"Your remedy was prescribed, and the way
it acted upon my system was almost too good
to be true. I certainly have regained my
health and strength, and I no longer suffer
periodical pains and extreme lassitude."
Mable Bradford.
Thousands of Women Cured Every Year
by Correspondence-Thls Is What
Dr. Hartman Proposes to Do
for You Without Charge. V
Women who suffer should read the
evidences presented here. We have,
thousands of letters from grateful
friends who tell the same story.
Half the ills that are peculiarly
woman's own are of a catarrhal
character. Female weakness was not
understood for many years. ;
Dr. Hartman deserves the credit of
having, determined its real character.
He has made catarrh. and catarrhal
diseases, including pelvic ca
tarrh a life long study.
Peruna cures catarrh, whether of the
pelvic organs or any other organ of the
human body.
Pe-ru-na, a Natural Beautlfier.'
Peruna produces clean, mucous mem
branes, the basis of facial symmetry
and a perfect complexion.
The women have not been slow to dis
cover that a course of Peruna will do
more toward restoring youthful beauty
than all the devices known to science.
Many a girl has regained her faded
beauty, many a matron has lengthened
the days of her comely; appearance by
using Peruna.
In Peruna these women find a prompt
and permanent cure.
Thousands of testimonials to this ef
fect are received by Dr. Hartman every
year. The good that Peruna has ac
complished in this class of cases can
scarcely be over-estimated. s . ;
y . If you do not derive prompt and J
? satisfactory results from the -use off
j Peruna, write at once to Dr. Hart-J
t man, giving a iuii siaiemeub 01 your
i case, and he will be pleased to give!
you his valuable advice gratis.
Address Dr. Hartman, President J
of The Hartman Sanitarium, Colum-f
bus, Ohio; All correspondence held!
strictly confidential. -;, , . J
purchase its plant. After protracted
negotiations a price of $2,000,000 was
agreed on. Of this sum $600,000 was
a bonus, while the balance represented
the actual valueof the plant turned
over by the company. ...
The city did not make this "purchase
for the. sole purpose of generating
electricity for, its municipal sue. - It
sought and obtained a grant which en
abled it to furnish light and power to
all users. The advocates of ,this step
urged -that numerous benefits would
follow from the installation and opera
tion of a municipality owned and op
erated plant. The city would obtain
its light and power at cost, private
users would receive theirs at a mini
mum advance over the actual cost, and
manufacturers , and merchants would
therefore have an advantage over out
side competitors, who were compelled
to pay .rates which yielded large divi
dends t'df private owners of light arid
power plants. Again, the surplus prof
its would go to the relief of tax rates,
thereby. making ihe. circle of ecenomy
complete. , . .... .. . . . .
Immediately, after the acquiring of
this property the tramways also came
into the possession of the city, and the
question arose whether or not to make
one generating system serve .for all
purposes. The opinions of r experts
were called for.,. It was the consensus
of opinion that a pressure of 500 volts
would enable thej same plant to , be
used for lighting and traction and that
there would, be a distinct gala as re
gards first cost, management, . econ
omy, ana surplus power attained Dy
combination. It was therefore decided
to erect two large power stations.
IOWA GROWN
5EED
C0RW
1 1 Liliiivl1 IV 1 A' t 1 :k a1 K V nVTOwlWAWMWWV H till JJl
Direct from the grower scientifically bred naturally cared and so selected as to produce a
full even crop of corn. Nubbins and half-filled ears are scarce where you plant VANSANT'S
SEED CORN. Our Seed Cora is GUARANTEED to erow where any corn will growf It
has the highest eerminating power. If yon Want full weight on the market, or profit in the
feed yard, we have seed corn that will produce it. CATALOGUE FREE. Prompt attention
c 3 . ua I.J f a . a m i-i ff l .....
ii lu uiucis. ociiu uiueis cany, ; ' Ti. ft. lanaani eu sons, ijox &j, rarragui, lowa
liijinnii - -ii i iim i ir rrir-ri i '
Each station has a capacity of 20,
000 horsepower, but so great has been
the demand made on them that new
oiies are needed, and some have al
ready been constructed. . England has
learned to use the refuse swept from
the streets for fuel. Several small
power stations deriving their power
from the burning of the refuse are now
in successful operation, and it is ex
pected that the total supply from this
source will reach '10,000 - horsepower.
A.few years ago Liverpool spent large
sums of money for the purpose of
throwing this material and its stored
up energy away. : When the plant
passed from the control'of the private
company its, output was. less than 3,-
000,000 units. ; It has grown, in seven
years to ten times ; that amount. ;
f When the city purchased the under
taking from private Interests the rate
charged for lighting was 7 pence per
unit and for power 5 pence per. unit.
At the present time the rates are 4
pence for lighting, 2 pence for street
lighting, 2 pence fopower up to 3,000
units per quarter and 1A pence there-
Private Hospital.
One of the most complete and satis
factory private hospitals . in the state
is that of Dr. C. A. Shoemaker of thia .
city. With all modern equipments, ha
is prepared . to treat diseases of the :
nervous sysiein ui mar, wuMiijJN
AND CHILDREN. Special attention
given, to diseases of Women -and Sur--gical
diseases. Every convenience for.
nplvic and abdominal surgery. , Statin
electricity used m treating Anemia, 1
Phnnmatlsm flllll ParalVRlS Y.Rotr
I.UVUU.M..WU. H. XVUJ
examinations with no discomfort ov
injury to patient. . Everything is home-:
like as possible. Board and , room rea-i
sonable. The Electro-Radiator cures
Rheumatism, Asthma and;variQus dis-
eases the only one in the state; ii
Send a full account of your ailment
tr T)r Shoemaker and he will arlvisA
you the proper treatment, time nec
essary for cure, , expense for, treatment,
board, room, etc. Please mention The
Independent wnen writing. . Address
Dr. C. A. Shoemaker, 1121 L street.
Lincoln, Neb. , ,