Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02

trust by committee of the legislature Is
attracting a great deal of attention. The
fact that tie corporation has an absolute
monopoly of the franchise for this branch
of the public service does not surprise any
one but some comment is occaSioned by the
disclosures of the immense wealth OF the
enterprise and the value of the franchse:
Nobody knows where the investigation VIII
lead to- but there is talk of agitation in
favor of municipal ownership of these pup
lic-serviCe institutions. 1t was TO De tA-
pected of course. that the gas trust was
tax dodger but there was some surprise at
the amount of the evasion.
Coming Mayoralty Contest.
Politics have had a rest for a month or
two but the moyOralty campaign VIII De
on pretty soon and there is a revival of IN
terest in the coming event. Mayor McClel-
Ian will probably be renominated by the
democrats At least so says Leader Muir
phy of Tammany, and his word will be
law The mayor has thus far verlfled the
prophecies that were made in his nehai
that he would be an efficient public ofhcer
The republicans can find no fault in ms
administration and it is little difficult to
see what prospect the republicans nave for
raising hopeful issues in the next cam
paign. They are trying to get an issue out
of the fact that Tammany Leader Murphy
has gobbled many contracts for pupnc
works for his contracting corporation
The cry is raised that Boss Murphy has
out-heroded Herod. meaning thereby Rich-
ard Croker but thus far Mr.. Murphys
game has been simply business He
is at the head of several corporations Whlch
have secured the contracts for improve
mentS undertaken by the Pennsylvania, the
New York Central and the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroads, aggregatng
many millions of dollars Naturally with
Tammany in control of the city govern
ment which will have a certain supervis-
ion over the improvements, the railroads
will feel that IL is not a bad idea for them
to intrust their work to companies presided
over by the man who controls Tammany.
The republicans are diligently seeking for
evidences of a scandal in such a combina
ton and hope to make 1t a political issue
this fall.
No Tariff Revision.
spirit in the American Protective Tariff
League, discussed the prospect of tariff
legislation this evening in a little group at
the republican headquarters In the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. We do not understand"
said Mr.. Wakeman, that President Roose-
welt intends to raise the issue of tariff re-
vision at the coming session. The Ameri-
can Protective Tariff League is very conf
dent that II there Is any tariff legislation it
will be readjustment instead of revision,
and that in the main the readjustment will
be upward and not downward. The in
dustries of the country are in a marvel
ously prosperous condition. / sat around
a table last night with a silk man, wooden
man and a steel man. Neither of these
manufacturers would take an order for de-
livery under five months. President Roose-
welt knows these things, and in my opinion
he will not interfere with the prosperity
of the great industrial establishment of
this country by recommending any except
wise tariff legislation" " O. M