Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-02-23
PUBLIC UTILITIES

GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP FAVORED
BY ANTITRUST CONFERENCE:
Question of What Compensation the
Owners Should Receive, but Finally
Agrees OIL a ,npro1nise-Initiative and
Referendum Recommended.
CHICAGO, Feb. 14.-The committee on
resolutions of the antitrust conference,
after a stormy session, finally agreed
upon report, which will be submitted
to the conference for adoption. The
discussion was caused by difference Of
opinion among the members as to the
details of how the government should
obtain control Of railroad, telegraph and
telephone lines. A faction led by Tom
L. johnson, Louis F. Post and other
single tax advocates insisted that the
value Of franchises in assuming control
should be ignored. They thought the
government should take the property
without paying compensation to the
owners. John P Altgeld, George r.
Williams, Governor Lee and ex-Ettor-
ney General Monet Of Ohio were for
government ownership of these utilities,
but thought the cause would be in
jured by
Advocating Practical Conhscation
at this time. Finally John P. Altgeld
suggested compromise which brought
the warning factions together and pre-
vented fight on the floor of the con-
vention later. The provisions denying
the value of franchise right were
stricken out and an amendment substi-
tuted declaring that the owners should
receive just compensation for all prop
erty taken, exclusive of watered stock
or other fictitious securities. This ap-
peared to satisfy the radicals and was
adopted.
The platform declares for government
ownership Of all public utilities and nat
ural nonopolies, government money,
the referendum and direct legislation
and the withdrawal Of protective tariffs
from all articles controlled by a trust.
A strong attempt was made at the
closing session of the conference to
Offset the Partisan Effect
of the resolutions previously adopted
denouncing the pending currency bill.
Frank S. Monet, permanent chairman
of the conference, made speech in
which he declared that the movement
for public ownership Of utilities was be-
ing carried on by the Republican party
as well as by the Democratic party.
Gin the Republican Northwest" said
he, ''65 per cent of the public utilities
are owned by the public, whereas, in
many Southern districts less than per
cent are so owned. would remind the
committee that Ohio, which is the state
of the president, is also the state of the
author of the Sherman anti trust act If
we have an Attorney General Griggs
we also have had an Attorney General
Olney."
Boycott Opposed as Un(lignified.
At the night session of the conference
resolution by Congressman Sulzer,
pledging the members Of the league to
boycott goods sold by trusts, was read.
Congressman Ridgley and others OBJ
jected to the resolution. They thought
the boycott undignifed, but did not OBJ
ject to the members giving moral sup
port to those firms not identified with
trusts. To meet these objections the
resolution was amended and passed in
the following form:
''Resolved, That the members of the
Antitrust league shall give practical
effect to their antagonism to trusts by
giving preference, SO far as practical, to
non- trust products''