, 1892-05-07
THE PEOPLE TALK,
Colonel I. V. Eddy Has a Word
About Corporations.
The High school Question Under
DfscussiOn-Eigh Hours a Day
for labor On the City's sewer
age Plans.

AAS AANs ~ RSsESOA u
DfscussIon-Eigh Hours Day
for labor ON the City's sewer
age Plans.
Colonel Eddy was the prominent figure
at the Peoples Forum, last evening, and
delivered lengthy address on the ques-
ton Of the evening, "Can general poverty
be abolished? If so, how2 If not, why ?"
The colonel applied the whip vigorously to
every cause that was responsible for the
continuance Of poverty. For one way to
bring about more even distribution of
wealth. he favored stringent control of
corporations. He forcibly denounced the
corporations which usurped their charters,
and as an illustration referred TO the North
ern Pacific, how it came through Olympia
aud took private property whether the
owners were willing Of unwilling. "Cor-
porations, said the colonel, s'have no souls
to be saved or to be damned If they had
they would be damned" For an hour and
half he kept his audience deeply inter
ested, and he closed amid much applause
! Mr.. Miller, who proposed the question
for discussion, was called upon, but de-
clined to talk and Chairman Swan then
suggested a word from Justice Rathbun on
the high school question.
Mr.. Rathbun stated that if the bonds
should be taken the question as to wheth-
er or not high school should be erected
would be submitted to a vote of the people
as in his opinion the board had not been
given authority to build, but If the propo-
sition should be voted down, the board
would probably hold the funds for such
disposition as the people might direct
Tho dipnrtprq yUn aip ta1ry lh ,tn .F
the people.
Olof Frisch said that the people would
not want to pay interest on money for fun,
and expressed opposition to giving Con-
tractor Cornwall the work of erecting the
high school buildings, as the other build
ings erected by him had to be braced up
by bands like hoops around an old barrel,
and were likely to fall down. He insisted
that the new school should be erected by
day labor
/ Mr.. Swan expressed the opinion that the
people were not in favor of using bond
money for the payment of tuition war
rants. If the taxes are not sufficient to pay
current expenses, he said, the tax rate
should be raised, and bonds should not be
issued for such expenses.
On the labor question, Thomas j. Miller
offered the following resolution, which was
adopted;
w WHEREAs, The city Of Olympia is about
to commence the construction of a sewer
age system; and
WHEREAS, We believe that the city's in
terests are best subserved by the employ
ment Of its citizens on such work there
fore be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
meeting that our city council should en-
gage a competent superintendent to take
charge of the work; that the labor be per-
formed on whati is commonly known as the
day plan; that citizens only qualifica-
tion necessary to obtain employment on
said work be his willingness and ability to
perform a fair days work; that wages be
paid in cash weekly, and that the hours of
labor be eight.
An offer to again take up the poverty
question failed, but after a general discus
sion, and an intention. to give 1t more at
tention, the meeting adjourned
The city council will be asked to furnish
Columbia hall for the use Of the Forum free
of rent