The herald., 1895-11-14
Money Question Discussed in
the Afternoon
AND MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
The Subject of the Address 10 the
Evening
a Permanent Organization Effected and
Constitution and Bylaws Adopted-lt
Has Been On Emphatic Success

by Rev. I. e. Wright, president OF the
association. Mrs. d. Il. Steele was intro
duced as the chairman OF the meetihs'
Mr.. A. Raymer, the we'll known soloist'
sang NV Little One, and responded to an
entb usiastic encore by singing the Fisher
men of st. Ives. Miss Rayiner was &C.
! Judge 4. Nj. widney delivered a care
fully sprepared address on the money
question. taking his well known theory
sof bar king and the issuing OF money as
his text.
Hon. Abbot Kinney followed with an
able defense OF the present financial sys-
tenn of money and credit. He claimed
that the system IS the legitimate result OF
all the Investigations OF the statesmen.
thinkers and business men OF ell ages OF
the world. He did not see the efficacy OF
any of the schemes that were heralded as
panaceas for financial ills.
Judge ]. A. Utley read an elaborate
argument to prove that money is not in
trinsic value, and has no intrinsic value.
He read long extracts from John Stuart
Mill, Berkeley, Ricordo Walker, Senator
Jones and others In support OF his state.
lment.
He claimed that money is but a sign
and it has been treated as ths ching sig
nified; that it is but reckoning or
checking medium, and that 1t Is called
even an International medium; that the
so.called good gold coin is but bullion
when it is out OF the country That minted
it.
' The last meeting of the session was
opened at o'clock last night. with Ed
ward HUTCHINSON in the chair
The report of the com mittee on perma-
nent organization was read by Louis X.
Webb. The report included un elaborate
system of bylaws. All societies, organi-
cations and combinations OF men who
are working out the problem OF progress
are invited to send delegates to cooper
ate with the present mem oers of the civic
parliament Tho proposed constitution
was adopted ana large number OF per-
sons joined the association.
The subject for dis nssicn last night
was municipal ownership OF public htili-
ties.
In the absence of Mr.. Webster, who was
ill and unable to attend, Mr.. Clarence
Miller was called upon by the president
of the meeting to open the discussion,
which he did, saying in substance:
I'm process of time, as governments
become more civilized and complex, they
find IT incumbent on them to assume
new duties. thus a postotfce would not
be considered necessary part OF gov
eminent of savage tribes. but is an ad-
mitted necessity to civilized govern
ment. So in village. each citizen NAV
have his own well or cistern, but each
city should own system OF water WORKS.
In private business as the commercial
world develops. Sc long as there is free
and mutual competition. every one, on
the average, gets value received in open
market. Bet soon there spring up mo-
nopolies, which imply absence OF compe
tition Then the ordinary citizen who
sells his productions IN open market.
buys OF the monopoly In a close market
and is, tb erefore, ground between an up
per and neither milestone He soon sees
that some re ief must be sought through
the law. He either attempts to have the
law shut off the competitions that he
finds bidding against him. or else to have
tho law relieve him from the mo nopoly
that opposes him. 1t is needless to say
that the first course but intensifies the
evils that exist by adding another mo-
nopoly-butth the second is the true course.
When there is monopoly there is time
for the government to interfere. II the
business is law-created monopoly,
abolish the law that created 1t. Ii il is a
natural monopoly let the appropriate gov
eminent acquire it. There is nothing
impracticable ABOUT it,; it has been FREE
quentiy done with success.
Mr.. Miller's address was frequently
aprlauded. At the conclusion OF Mr..
Miller's address Madam 6. SOrmano exc
cuted @ selection from. ii TrUvatore upon
the violin with such marvellous skill that
the audience was entranced. She re-
kronded to an enthusiastic encore by per-
forming beautiful composition of her
own with the same wonderful skill. Miss
Cecille S.rmano was accompanies.
Mrs. Longley of Pasadena read a very
instructive and interesting paper, in
which she made strong appeal to the
voters to exercise their franchises in
favor of municipal ownership of all public
utilities and monopoles. Her paper was
we'll prepared and delivered, showing
great d cal of study and research.
DR.. Cannon produced an array Of facts
proving that we could not expect to
abolish any great Improvement until we
1t required the cooperation of the two
sexes in order to perfect any organiza-
ton.
The next speaker was S. Z. Fulton, VINO
requested a nickle's worth of baseballs to
see il he could hit the ''nigger" in tho
municipal and national ownership OF
public utilities. He defined monopoly as
an industry which dozen. or even
smaller rumber of individuals could not
engage in al the same time or place. For
instance, it would not do to put dozen
street railways on one street. What is
true of transportation can also be said in
regard to the transmission of intell-
gence. He cited tho railways of New
South Wales, where lirst-class service was
given passengers at one cent per mile,
as against nearly four cents in this coun-
try, where the railways are owned and
operated by private corporations. In
criticisinH Mr.. Miller's remarks in regard
to competition, he quoted from Herbert
Spencer, sho wing that according to high
authority competition was moon patible
with strict integrity.
30 far as incentive and am bition was
concerned he thought 1t time that the
world should lay aside such selfish ideas
and conduct affairs from the standpoint
of emulation ami love. He affirmed
that through the false idea of gold get.
ting the humanity had all been squeeze
out OF us. and If we expected to obtain
heaven in this world we must abolish
competition and adopt 90. operation.
His remarks were we'll received and
frequently applauded. Mr.. Stuart gave a
birsf address. showing that it was neces-
sary for the Municipality to not only
operate the public mOnopolies but to own
them and furnish the citizens water, i
gas, electric lights, street railways, etc.
at actual cost.
Mr.. J. r. Armstrong gave some very
interesting statistics proving chat cities
owning their public utilities were giving
the public the benefit ut less than one
half the cost that was charged by private
individuals or corporations. He appealed
to the audience to quit quibbling and
talking and do something.
Mr.. Theodore Pinther. stated that
throughout continental Europe all cities
of any note owned their gas. electric
lights, water, etc., and furnished the
same at small Dercentage of what tha