Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-07-10
MUNICIPAL AND FEDERAL OWN.
ERSHlP.

In hts Ottowa address Thos. Lawson
spoke as follows on municipal owner
ship:
You think. some Of you, that the
solution Of our trouble is In munich
pal and federal ownership OF our pub.
lie utilities. hate to oppose your
optimistic impression that In the peo.
Plies administration OF the railroads
and gas companies lies the panacea
for our d%eeprooted troubles. Before
1 left home, l was asked not to disturb
the nations new glowing hope that
in this way safety lies. | was asked
to take the presidency Of a national
league for political ownership which
Is being organized, but ! must be true
to my convictions and ! must. not
tempOrize with the facts as | know
them. Municipal ownership Is a will
o'-the wisp. The system" ~circulates
the idea OF It among the people to
keep them out OF mischief. 1t Is a
rattle and a rubber ring for the coun-
try to play with. II Rogers and
Rockefeller and the other frenzied
f~inanciers we're starting over again,
they would ask nothing better than to
begin in o world in which all the
banks. railroads and manufactures
were In the hands Of the government
because they could steal them easier,
quicker, cheaper and more safely
from elected authorities than from In
dIvidual owners. Make no mistake
about my attitude on this question,
The house OF the American people Is
on fire; | believe the flames can be
put out In time to save the structure
and without sacrificing the lives Of the
inmates, but some OF those In the top
stories get impatient at the heat and
conclude to drop from the windows
on to the municipal and federal own
ership grass. let them try their luck.
believe they stand n chance OF
breaking their necks or their limbs,
thereby missing the fight to extin-
guish the fire and save the house.
advise them strongly against the
experiment for very poor reasons.
Let us look at municipal and fed
eral ownership. and tell investors
frankly what 1t means. It means
that the ballot box becomes the gen.
eral manager OF the street.car lines,
the gas and water works, and the
big railway systems. What does the
ballot box know except Of votes?
What influence only Is 1t susceptible
to--votes! You are not new to poll
fics--the profession Of v%oters--and
yon knows It's fruits and Its flow
ers.
They are about to try an expert
ment In municipal ownership In Chi.
cago. the city infamous for Its poor
service. n the system" is
able to corrupt the law makers and
law administrators who have all these |
years connived at the wretched man
agement Of the Chicago railways,
what possible hope can there be of
relief when the roads are actually |
under the management of city Off
elected In the same way as the
aw makers and administrators whose
weakness and wickedness have been
70 manifest? Let US suppose the
system organizes a campaign to re-
gain, at a reduced price, the railway
properties 1t has sold the public.
Gould 1t not first through corrupt
means. elect Its own agents to man
lee the railway lines? They would
Ind II no difficult task to disgust the
public with their bargain. Or. failing
iere, could they not as easily use
heir dollars 10 corrupt the servants
# the people in charge of the road.
O render SO poor a service that the
would be glad to turn back
he property to the old owners, Just
Is Philadelphia did years ago with
gas company? The many resist
ess strongly than the few. Stealing
railway from individuals tests the
of the System for the indi
'iduals fight for high prices: but It
$ a simple task to wrest one from
he government. for what Is every.
interest Is no ones concern.
Successful administration of public
is Incompatible with political
considerations, and If tried In this
Is bound TO prove a disap-
and a failure II II were
'ossible to bring II about. | believe
| woul set back the relief which the
must have at least 100 years.