New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-06
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP UP.
Commission of CiUic Federation
Meets and ORGANIZES.

The commission to Investigate public owner
ship and operation of the National Civic Fedora
ton met yesterday in Earl Hall, Columbia Uni
versty to consider three phases of the situa-
ton. These were: Shall the foreign inquiry In
cline itself to such public utilities as gas water.
electricity power and lighting, and street rail-
ways? Shall it include government ownership
of railways, telegraph. telephones, parcels post.
postal savings banks etce Shall it further in
clude what under the general head in
England of municipal trading" such as munic-
ipal markets. abattoirs, bakeries, laundrles'
opera houses and tenement houses?
Samuel Gompers, after calling the meeting to
order. spoke on municipal ownership of street
railways. He said this was impractical for or
ganzed workmen or other bodies under present
conditions.
Edward A. Moffett who was elected secre-
tary then read a letter from August Belmont
who said he was unable to be present as ne
was about to be operated on for appendicitis
Later he read telegram from Mr. Belmont
saying that that operation had been successful
The letters of regret from the absent members
were read by Mr.. Moffett, all Of them advocat-
ing the limiting of the investigation at present
to street railways gas and water This com
mittee to make this investigation was named by
Mr. Gompers: Alexander Revell J. B. Devins
Mr. Maltbie George H. Harris, D. L. Cease,
Marcus NJ. Murcus and himself.
Recess was then taken, Mr. Gompers going
TO Dayton, Ohio.
When the session was resumed Alexander
Revell read the names Of the officers the COM
mittee had decided on for the executive COM
mittee. They are NJ. E. ingalls,, president of the
Big Four, chairman; John Mitchell. president
United Mine Workers. first vice-charman; John
G. Agar. second vice-chairman; Edward A
Moffett, secretary.
Mr.. ingalls, was called to the chair, and said
he accepted the post at some sacrifice because
he considered it public duty. He said:
A tremendous pressure for municipal owner
ship is abroad, and it is our duty to the public
to give them all Of the facts we can get to-
gether. You read both sides in the public press
one showing that it is success. while the otner
records a failure. What is good for one coun-
try is not good for another The great fault
we are liable to fall into is to try to do TOO
much. We want to study gas plants. electric
lighting plants and especially water plants. l
consider this investigation a pubic duty, ana
if we put the facts before the American pnpllc
we will give them history of to-day ana we
will do a greater work for our country IMAM
ever performed by any statesman
Two committees were appointed. one consist
ing of nineteen members, which will be the ex-
ec1Itive committee. the other consisting of TWEEN
tv-one members. which will be the investigating
committee. The executive committee VIII De the
general committee of the commission, and in a
,yav will s,lppIant it. As there are more than a
hundred members in the large committee they
are hard to get together and they will only meet
after the reports have all been made. Inc eH-
ecutive committee will have full control OF the
investigating committee. filing vacancies