Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/839

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Mr. Bernard Shaw arrives at the conclusion that the housing problem cannot be satisfactorily solved until the municipality owns all the land within its boundaries, and is as free to deal with it as our ground landlords are at present. In the Times pamphlet, already referred to, the following passage is interesting:

The street-car or tramway traffic has been taken up all over the country by municipalities, with great success. I looked with astonishment on the great suburban cars running out of London, usually crowded with passengers; and at Southampton and elsewhere I rode in municipal trams. Of course, even these do not fail to meet with opposition, particularly since they must inevitably interfere with the local railroad traffic, and with various interests along the line. For example, it has been found that when the tramways were extended into certain neighborhoods close to great cities, people who formerly traded at the local stores would get on the cars and do their shopping in the large city establishments, where there was greater variety of choice, and very likely better prices. This sort of difficulty, which is undoubtedly far from imaginary, is gravely cited as something inherent in municipal enterprise, as if it did not result from private commercial enterprise everywhere! I knew a storekeeper in New Mexico who vigorously opposed the coming of the railroad, and quite rightly so far as his own personal interests were concerned.