The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-16
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
A LIVE QUESTION
H. T. NeWcomb, the Washing
ton Economist Thinks 1t Is
Issue Before People
OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS
ENGLISH TAILORS MAKING CLO-
THES FOR AMERICAN SAILORS
ADMIT THEIR SUPERIORITY IN
PHYSIQUE.
(By w. A. CrawfOrd)

Washington, d. c. July 15-"The
Invest and liveliest political issue in
the country today is public owner
ship" says II. T. Newcomb, the Wash
ington economist and statistican. ITO
a great extent it is at present a local
issue, taking the form of a movement
for city ownership of gas and electric
plants and street cars, but it is bound
to grow from this to a demand for
national ownership and operation of
all sorts of industrial enterprises.
The propaganda for government in
tervention is being actively presented
in all parts of the country as a rem
edy for all our business evils. real
or alleged" Mr.. Newcomb delivered
an address before the American Asso-
citation for the advancement of Scien-
ce few days ago, taking up the
question of municipal ownership from
the point of view of the employee.
His conclusion was that for the lab
oring man the government is a less
desirable employer than the individu-
al or corporation. An examination
comb shows that in the past ten
years the wages of privately employ
ed labor advanced over IL per cent,
while there was no advance in the
pay for public employment. Further
more, the government has the power
to compel service, and finds it neces-
sary to exercise this power when it
becomes an employer on a large scale
in other words. it interferes with
the laborers right to sell his labor
wherever he will. This is a new phase
of the question and one that is likely
to attract considerable interest
among employees in industries in
which the agitation for municipal
ownership is now going on.
X X X
While the officers in Uncle Sans
army are not filled with delight over
the Importation of an English army
tailor who is to make for them uni
forms as is uniforms. at cost of
something like half years salary
that is to say, $500 to $1,000 for each
outfit-the privates are getting con-
ment of Mr.. Winter. the tailor in
question. to the effect that the Ameri-
can fighting man is the smartest. best
built and best set up in the world
Before leaving England, the artist
with the shears was quoted as crit
icizing our soldiers adversely. but he
has learned from experience, and now
admits that they are far ahead of
even his own beloved Tommy Atkins,
being less beefy and generally "Imar-
ter" in appearance. Since the pri-
vate will not be forced to lay ont a
small fortune in clothes. he can ac-
cept the compliment cheerfully, in
stead of with the sorrowful resign
ment accorded to it by his officers
who have to pay, not to the piper but
to the tailor.
X X X
Down on Chesapeake Bay where
midsummer broods terribly over the
oyster shucking plants. preparations
are being made which betolen a
change in the way the householder
wants his oysters. \ tremendous
amount of energy in cleaning is ac-
companied by symptoms that the
time-honored, uncovered oyster pail
will no more, or not so often. be part
| of the familiar odds and ends on the
floors of grocery and meat shops.