A LITTLE POLITICAL FABLE.
Once upon a time a man invested $350,000 in building a 15-story office building in a large city. He fitted up his office rooms in nice style and then went out to secure tenants.
"Where is your elevator?" queried the man who came to inspect the rooms.
"I have no elevator," replied the owner.
"But do you expect us to pay you a fair rent for your rooms and then climb these ladders to get to them?"
"Well I thought you might do it for awhile. Later I will give some man a franchise to operate an elevator in my building."
"But why not put in your own elevator?"
"I am opposed to that sort of thing, gentlemen. I will give away the franchise for the elevator and the corporation that secures it may tax my tenants all the traffic will bear."
Then the men seeking office rooms gave the property owner the merry haha and left him.
Finally the man's friends took him in charge and brought him before the lunatico inquireudo.
"What's the matter with him?" queried the commission.
Upon hearing the story the commission decided unanimously that the man was crazy and he was sent to the insane hospital.
But will some one please explain the difference between running a car up and down within a building and running a car along the streets between buildings?
—Will M. Maupin, in The Commoner.
reprinted in The Public, Aug 1, 1903
Municipal ownership of transit and utilities such as water, gas and electricity, was much discussed in that period. (See the Monopoly Board, which evolved from "The Landlord's Game." The latter was designed to teach the wisdom, justice and sustainability of Henry George's ideas.)
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