c control
is acknowledged, are those connected with our municipal public works.
There is already a widespread movement toward taking the control and
operation of these out of the hands of private corporations, and placing
it directly with the city government, and progress in this direction is
very rapid. The author believes, however, that the general law already
stated is applicable here. If the public works of States and of the
nation are more economically and efficiently managed when in the hands
of private parties, it is surely unwise, as a general rule, to entrust
the operation of municipal works to the average city official. While it
is in the highest degree desirable that water-works, gas, and
electric-lighting plants, street railways, and the other municipal
enterprises, discussed in Chapter V., should be _owned_ by the
municipality, their operation, in cases where the employment of
considerable labor and the carrying on of intricate business and
mechanical operations is involved, should in general be entrusted to
private companies. In every case where the financial condition of the
municipality obliges it to rely at first upon private corporations for
the construction and ownership of its public works, the franchise should
expire at the end of a short term of years, and the city should then
have the privilege of purchasing the works at their actual cost.

As regards works for water supply, there can be little doubt that almost
invariably the municipality should operate as well as own the works, for
the administration of the works requires but a small amount of labor,
and that of such a class that the city can safely carry it on. But gas
or electric-light plants, both for street and resident lighting, should
be operated by private companies.

These industries are making such rapid progress in the way of new
processes, effecting both economy and improvement, that it is somewhat
difficult to say what steps should be taken. Many are of the opinion
that gas is destined to be entirely replaced by the electric light; but
while this may eventually prove true, it will probably be a very long
time before the existing gas-works cease to supply consumers. Thus the
true solution of the problem seems to be that when a growing town
nowadays wishes to establish a new lighting plant of its own, it should
adopt electricity. But in the case of a town having gas-works already
established, the municipality is safe in assuming their