Municipal Cooperation in Public Utility Management

Conditions surrounding early grants. Meager knowledge of the importance of public utilities in their inception. The changing view-point of the public with respect to the utilities. The constantly increasing investment necessary to meet public demands and the need of favorable franchise conditions, that capital may be attracted to meet same. The early franchises proved unsatisfactory. Public utility business should be a monopoly but should be regulated. The question of its regulation. Different theories under which regulation and municipal cooperation have been exercised. Future additional cooperative measures. Limitation of extensions. Building of extensions by private assessment. The injustice of diverting public utility earnings to municipal purposes. An abstract of the Kansas City traction ordinance passed July 1914.