Municipal Public Service Corporations.
In discussing local public service corporations, it is well for the teacher to develop in the beginning the fact that there are two possible ways of dealing with them: (1) municipal ownership, and (2) state regulation. Even in this country the first method has been tried to some extent; most of our largest cities now own their own water supply, and some of them are in possession of their own gas and electric light plants. Thus far, however, most American states and cities have been content to confine their activities in dealing with public service corporation to regulating their functions and privileges by special legislation and by establishing special commissions. Still, the history of the regulation of public service corporations in this country is as yet in its beginnings; the teacher can therefore go but little farther than to set his students thinking upon the question as to which is the better method of dealing with the problem.