Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-29
A CITY COAL YARD.
Sensational Proposition Made by the
NationaliSts of Boston.
1T CAUSED A LAUGH AT FIRST,
But Recent Developments Prove That 1t Is:
q Serious Natter
WHAT BEILAMYISM MAY YET LEAD TO

WHAT BELLAMYISM MAY YET LEAD TO
a Boston letter to the New York Times
gives an interesting review of the work Of
the Nationalists and their aims. The latest
sensation there is a petition from the Bella
myites to the City Council asking for the
establishment ofa ''fuel department.. They
asked that the city should open coal yard
from which to supply all purchasers with
coal at cost price. The public received the
announcement of the scheme with general
smile of incredulity. The Aldermen dis
cussed the petition little, referred it, and
forgot it
Probably few persons not directly inter
ested in the matter imagined that the SUBJ
iect would ever be heard from again. The
idea that the city should go into the busi-
ness of buying and selling coal was, in the
general public mind, too utterly absurd to
be seriously entertained for a moment In
fact, the suggestion was regarded as hot
weather joke or temporary plaything for
impracticable reformers But the Nation
alists were in dead earnest To-day the
plan is no longer laughed at It is seriously
discussed, and even those opposed to it rec
cCnize that its success is, at least, among
the possibilities of the near future
The events that have led to this latest
economic agitation would make an interest
ing story if related IN detail 1t is less
than two years stree the adherents of the
Bellamy creed banded themselves together
as Nationalists and started in TO reform the
world, beginning with Boston and Messa-
chuSetts They had the courage of their
convictions, and they displayed a great
deal of political skill and tact when they
plunged boldly in, within a few months
after organization, and demanded of the
Legislature the passage of bill giving any
city or town in the Commonwealth permis-
sion to own and to maintain its own gas or
electric lighting plant for the public use
and for the service OF its inhabitants. The
measure failed of adoption, but it cost the
electric light and gas companies pretty
sum of money to smother the bill.
SYSTEMATIC AND IN EARNEST.
During the months intervening between
this defeat and the opening of the next
Legislature the Nationalists did much sys-
-ru.aJic and energetic work. They can
rasSed the State thoroughly, and from
every town of importance they had peti-
lion Of the most prominent and influential
residents in favor of their bill The fight
before the Legislature was a notable one,
even in Massachusetts annals. The oppos-
ing lobby was big and had plenty of money,
and the Nationalists had at least sufficient
funds FOR car fare. No less than 80 public
hearings were had over the measure. Even
money or odds against the NationaIists was
the betting on the result, but when the
measure was pushed 10 a vote it went
through with a rush, more than two to one
in its favor in the Senate and more than
five to one in the house.
1t has not vet appeared that there was
any very spontaneous and widespread pop
ular demand for the law Before the bill
had been signed by the Governor, one town
-Peabody-was IN quiet way running its
own lighting plant, and to-day is proud of
the fact that it has the cheapest rates for
light of any community in the State. Short
", the towns of Melross, Wakefield and
Danvers fell into line. These are near
neighbors to Peabody, and all four are large
towns almost ready to burst the chrysalis
and become cities. Peabody and Danvers
are centers of the hide and leather indus
tries of the State, and Wakefield is manu-
featuring town, so that their populations are
made up largely of laboring people. Mel
rose is pretty suburb of Boston and it is
the home of some of the reformers Other
towns are ag1tating the question and are,
perhaps, waiting to see how the experiment
may work where it is being tried. But the
sum total of definite results hasnot yet been
large.
SURPRISED ATTHER SUCCESS.
Nevertheless, the Nationalists have re-
ioiced with exceeding great joy over what
they accomplished. They were probably
even more surprised at their success than
other folk were. Flushed with victory
they began 20 lay new plans for the future,
and to this end the leaders held several con-
ferences. They felt that it was essential to
the life of their cause that they should not
Gclav in following up their first advantage.
More than that; they determined that in
their second contest they would plant them
selves firmly and Enthusiastically upon the
extreme Nationalist dogma-the care of the
Individual by the Government. 1t was
easy TO fix that point, but it was more diff
cult TO decide upon the definite idea with
which 10 go before the public. There,was
much anxious deliberation before this was
settled.
There was notable gathering of promi-
rcnt members of the order at the headquar-
-ors in this city several months ago. Ac-
e0rding to all accounts, that was lively
meeting, harmonious, but earnest. They
were hunting for an issue, and suggestions
were plentiful, although no one had any
particular scheme TO exploit. A verbatim
report of the discussion on this occasion
would make interesting reading. Plan
after plan was suggested, only TO be rejected
as unfeasible. They thought of cooperative
stores, but that was thrashing over old
straw, and not Nationalistic straw at that
Besides, failure had too often followed this
experiment to make it advisable to try it
again. There was a strong sentiment in
favor of State loans to individuals, but this
plan was reluctantly abandoned as hnan-
ciallv unsound and as likely to arouse the
antaConism of the conservative element in
the community, which had been with them
in their campaign for municipal lightning,
and which they wanted on their side in the
next move.
ORIGIN OF THE COAL SCHEME
The discussion narrowed down to the
proposition that the Government, State or
local, should pe called upon to furnish to
individuals aScost price some one necessity
of life. Food was thought of and then
clothing and then other staples, but the
wide diffusion Of these industries in private
hands was accepted as an insuperable objec-
tion TO taking any OF them.
Suddenly Nationalist Lemon spoke upiI
quietly:
''W!Iy not eoal?"
''The very thing" exclaimed another,
aad coal it was.
That is the true story of the origin of the
coalyard scheme. The suggestion
was adopted without dissent, and the work
of propagation, as already told, was mapped
out At this first meeting.
On the face Of 81 this plan is simply a
to secure cheap coal for the peo-
nile tn that end annarentlv IL miuhf as