The labor world., 1899-12-09
Pipe Dreams.

S>>>>>>>> >>>>>>G>>>>> -
The New York Times gives a des-
cription of a successful test in the
metropolis of the new auto-truck and
Mr.. Richard Crocker, Senator German
and other capitalists who control the
auto truck trust and own valuable
patents are enthusiastic at the outlook.
The auto-truck is operated by COM
pressed air, is 1G feet long, and has a
capacity of 100 horse power for Is
hours, carrying 10000 pounds. The
truck can be handled beautifully, as
it is instantly responsive to the man
at the wheel, starting, stopping, back
ing and turning at will. The Interna-
tional Power company is turning out
upward of 1000 of these trucks at its
plant in Providence, r. T., and they
will be put in operation in the vari-
Gus large cities. For few months
yet truck drivers, expressmen, stable
men, harness makers, and those who
grow or handle horse feed will have
an opportunity to tell each other that
ut won't work. but gradually the
loud voice of skepticism will drop to
an inaudiable whisper. We have al
sad-eyed, scrawny horses that man.
ure our streets, while l1itched to ex-
press wagons for twelve or fifteen
hours day, and which are driven by
ill-clothed and hungry looking men,
who imagine that they are or will be
capitalists. The horses have earned
rest. The men, or large numbers
Of them at least, are assured Of a long
vacation. Probably they will stand
around then and talk about "busting'
Crocker's trust and smashing the new
tangled trucks that feed on air and
carry from five to ten times more than
their little old trucks did. And prob
ably some Of them will have better
sense and study the problem suffi-
GENTLY to secure~a clear understanding
Of the meaning of the collective own
ership of the implements Of produce
tion and distribution, which includes
auto-trucks. '.E
y \ .4n- /
Wen, all pipe-dreams and jobs aside,
the new telegraphing system has been
given trial over the Western Union
wires between Cleveland and Chicago,
and again between Chicago and New
York during the past few days and
the experiments demonstrated that the
Pollak-Virag system can accomplish
what its promoters claim. No less
than 100000 words an hour go whizzing
over the wire. After few improve
.NnQnfS ro tho x,1,;.,
monopolies will be immensely benefit
ed. The small army Of telegraphers
which 4wtl ~ To- Hispl -+pshaW..,
What's the use Of wasting words about
the telegraphers when they are salts
fled to have and vote for the capitalis-
tic masters. ~' 1~
A sample of the persistent lying Of
the lingo press Of both continents is
the repeated statement that the Beers
are very bigoted and intolerant, espe-
cially toward the Catholics. The lie
derives plausibility from the circum-
stance that the Beers are largely de-
scended from the French Hugenots,
and that their Dutch ancestry also
were jealous Protestants. The Moni-
tor has well answered this charge of
intolerance by giving the following
list Of Transvaal officials who are
Catholics: DR.. Leyds European agent
Of the republic; DR.. Farrelly, govern
ment adviser on international law:
Mr.. Hogan, secretary of the command
ant general; Cheva1ier O'Donaghue
vice chairman Of the Johannesburg
tim 1f
bers of the Transvaal civil service are
Catholics, and the Catholic church
and convent in Pretoria are built on
ground presented by the Transvaal
government. The fact is that the
Beers have established and maintain
ed absolute religious liberty and equal
ity.
Defiance and ridicule of the Inter-
state Commerce law and the power of
congress breathed from every SEN
tence of President Stickneys testimony
before the subcommittee of the In
dustrial Commission. Mr.. Stickney is
not only president of the Great West
ern railway, but a careful student of
the relations of railroads to the gov
ernment and to the people. He is. the
student as we'll as the man of affairs.
He knows whereof he speaks and his
testimony was very remarkable. He
openly declared that the railroads do
not maintain the published rates, and
said the investigations and corrections
of the Interstate Commerce commits
sion were roaring farce. The far
mers and small merchants of the coun-
try have been the vctime of rate dis
ordinations for many years, and they
can attest the truth of Mr.. Stickney's S
statement.
r
Having demonstrated the efficiency
Of existing law, President Stickney
argued that congress ought to let the
railroads alone. The trusts think so
too. The highway robber would pre-
fer to be exempt from any penalty of
law. The railroads with their rate
determinations are most valuable al
lies Of the trusts in Fleeing the pro-
ducers and consumers. When asked