The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-23
CITY OWNERSHIP DANGERS.
D-CADY HERRICK TELLS REFORM
CLUB TO GO SLOW.
Doesn't Agree With Speakers VINO Plead
for Municipal Control and PrOvOkes
. Reply From r. W. Hinrichs-Chi'
cagOan Talks for Mayor Dunno.

fairs had municipal ownership party at
the National Arts Club rooms, at 81 "ee'
Thirty-fourth street, last night 'ohn w.
Agar presided. There was dinner before
the talk part of the proceedings
Mayor Dunno of Chicago was TO nave
been the principal speaker of the evening
but he was busy at home trying to fulhI
the function of government whlch pre-
vents citizens from being mobbed on the
streets, and sent Lou is r. Post. VINO mas q
Chicago reputation az single taxer an
deep thinker, to talk in his place;
After Lyman Abbott had added his voice
To that of Mr.. gar and Mr.. Post in favor OF
municipal ownership, e1-Justire HerrlcK
arose and said what ne thought. It was
not what the Others thought or what Mr.
F.W. Hinrichs showed that he thought later.
Mr.. Herrck said:
MANY Of the evils Of New York come
from the carelessness of its own people.
They run to Albany for legislation to re-
dress evils they ought to redress themselves
MANY people have been allowed to
swelter and smother in their own lniamy
and negligence instead OF correcting thelI
wrongs by Hesitation we shIa'a a nave "ao
"Some look at municipal ownership as
the great pana cea of all evils. Some con-
slider it socialism. Now, government does
many things to-day which would nave
been Thought improper soie .i'io afo'
Municipal ownership is merely a question
of expediency--it il a practical question
for business men.
aSome say the necessares OF life should
be owned municipality. One OF the most
eminent Mayors OF New York was In FAVOR
OF municipal ownership Of bakeries. coal
ysrds and insurance. All these are neces-
carries But you must draw the line some
where And it seems to me clear that
government should not take up anything
but the protection of life. property and
health.
II can see that in New York there is a
strong incentive for the city to operate
its own transportation lines. The question
Isl In our state of development, OF govern
mont and of men, can we safely undertake
municipal government has up to the present
been one Of the great failures of this self
governing people.
1T is a contamination devoutly to be
wished that no one shall make profit
on our necessities. but is It practicable'
that you in New York are not At to govern
yourselves with the few things you control
now. Who will run these municipal activi-
ties? The Board Of Aldermen The Board
of Estimate and Apportionment? They
expediency. Your Mayor? At present he
Is an honest, intelligent patriotic citizen,
but what about after the next election?
! don't know.
II had control Of first class political
time ago-and If I didn't care what hap
pened twenty-five years after, wouldn't
want any better asset than to have the say
In State municipal ownership. You are
by tariff walls, with the result
that great aaggregations Of capital have
and can beat liz every year. Give the
same organization control of the new en-
terprises, with their tremendous expendi-
ture, and what a ma gnificent opportunity
you have granted to those who control the
Il am a believer in trades Unions and I
find in average unionists far more intelli
gent apprehension OF governmental func-
Tons than that had by the average business
wan ne KNOWS nov 10 use ms e1bar ths
trades unions will be crushed out of exist
ence, for it is hard to contemplate a self
respecting, stable. strong. government
allowing its employees to dictate to 1t or
trades unions will dominate the Govern
ment. Which would be worse? l do not
know.
1T may be that in community like this,
where 80 much depends on transportation,
The ownership Of the means Of transit may
should take it up. But there is no need
81 hurry while the question is being fought
out and we had better wait until we have de-
veloped some capacity for self government
that will justify our. assuming greater
cares and responsibilities.
Il am convinced that much of the desire
FOR municipal ownership comes out of
jealousy against those who make money |
out of public utilities. If we have not |
reached a condition In which we are able |
to control public utilities, If we cannot get
honest officials to act for us, we had better
60 back to patemal government and get
the work done for us
I'VE shall always get the kind Of gov
we demand and deserve"
The reforners were very solemn after,
10 be some who felt that he ought not to
have been invited to the party. There
was no overt disapproval, but chill was
perceptible.
Mr. Posts speech was a setting forth Of
the announcement that Mayor DUNES !
he said, ran ticket Of their own
against Mr.. Dunno. The city had been |
ma king it's own Illuminating gas since 1897, |
and only lately began to supply private |
consumers, He eetimated that Chicago by
running ts own lighting plant had saved |
l20 900 a year for seventeen years and had |
acquired 100000 plant.
within two years u" said Mr. Post, while |
he committee clapped its hands, you may
With reason hope to see municipal traction
,sSttlu idIke sIile running III lull
operation in the city of Chicago"
Lyman Abbott said among other things:
liam myself in favor of municipal owner
,hip-by that mean all forms of ownership
which are necessarily municipal m onopo-
les. There are three theories of govern
nent. First that the few must take care
u the many, as in Russia to-day. Second.
here is the theory of police government;
I is sufficient to preserve order and keep
III the foreign enemy-but let every man
ook out for himself and the devil take the
hindmost.
THAT was the theory back in the 1908
We are now working toward the third
deal. The State is an organism with in
diligence, sensibility. and will which is
Exhibited in public opinion. 1t has the
light to do for itself anything it can do
,etter than the individual.
"The dangers Of municipal ownership
ire far less than the dangers to the city
rom corrupt combinations of political
and favored corporations. II the
,eople Of New York can combine for educa-
ion, why cannot they combine for transport
atom l leave this sentence with you: Be
'ure the cure for the evils Of democracy is
more democracy. always
Frederic W. Hinrichs repeated his as
sertion, made before the Good Government
Tub { the other night, that the city is gov
srned by It's transportation corporations
md lighting corporations and that the OBJ
ect of the Legislature in prolonging the
Mayors term was to make it possible for
heSe corporations to grab every potential