Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-07

been reduced half OF more than half. The
same. ne said, IL true Of electric lights and
telephones. the last being due to cooper
alive organizations. In Omaha. he said. 500
is being paid for business telephone eonnec-
lions and s6s for residence. Results In
other cities show that this can be cut in
half by cooperation. He said the electric
street lighting In Omaha is poorer than in
most cities and the water rates are double
that would be paid under public ownership.
A. Affecting Humanity.
Prof. Parsons discussed the effect upon
public morals. the human results not
financial, the man not money, due to priv
ate monopoiies. He said that Justice. char
aeter, social, Industrial and political lib
erty are encouraged by m~onopolies only 50
far as they serve their ends. He did not
want 10 be understood to be attacking in
dividuals, but the system. The evils re-
sulting from the maintenance Of Hobbies by
corporations is inherent In the system.
I Corporations must defend themselves. In
dividual criticism is only right when the
man is violating the business ethics Of his
day. One OF the greatest causes Of cor
ruption is the efforts Of monopolies to de-
fend their interests. II public ownership
4 succeeded them, a great force for good
would be created, and would become iden-
tilted with the public welfare. Only By
daily impact with these questions can
interest be awakened among the people IN
these questions.
The lecturer then considered the relations
Of the question Of private monopolies and
public ownership to labor. holding that al
evidences showed a tendency to increase
wages and shorten hours where public own
ership obtained and he claimed that ever
elevation Of labor Is followed by an Inn
provement in the l~awmaking body. He con.
sidered the relations Of the question 4
political power, education, and the diff
fusion Of wealth. He said that while thu
average condition Of mankind has beef
lifted, the gap between the extremes o
poor and rich has widened. with the mar
velous commercial and Industrial develop
ment of modern times has conn a conges
tion Of wealth at the top. Congestion 0
wealth he considered a very serious prob
lem, and he considers private monopolie
the leading cause OF this congestion. I
one man owns a franchise and the othe
man nothing. the way to equalize thing
Is to make both equal by making tn
whole people partners.
MonopOlies and Liberty.
Prof. Parsons dWelt upon the enect o
monopolies on liberty Of the press. tn
pulpit and on individuals. and asserted tina
this liberty depended very largely on tn
Industrial situation. He urged that publ
ownership of private m~onopolies could onl
be made effective by the public OWNERSHIP
Of government, pointing out that the de
fensive position maintained by private mo
nopolies involved a corruption Of govern
ment. He cited the experience Of Phila
delphia, where public ownership OF GER
tain m~onopolies was not effective because G
corruption in the municipal government
Along with this ownership of government
must 60 civil service reform and the lee
turer believed that the effective ownershi
OF government requires the practice c
initiative and referendum.
The lecture was followed by short ad
dresses by Henry w. Yates. vice presi
dent Of the local branch Of the Economi
league, Andrew Rosewater and others.
II was Intended to hold a business meet
|, ing after the lecture in order to discovs
why the promoters Of the Economic leagu
in Chicago had not complied fully with II
undertaking when the local branch was OF
ganized. but because OF the absence {
President Francis A. Brogan. who is ez
actly informed OF the facts. the meetin
was adjouras+a AZ the call oefeAe p4esiden