The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-05-11
The Way in New Jersey.
O Success.

IiOhi
The investigator of public affairs meets,
in Newark, what would be. il the thing
were not common to our cities, a singular
situation. If he looks into local politics ne
| soon learns that the regular republican
| organization invariably advocates those
measures which the Public Service Corpor-
| alton of New Jersey is advocating, and
| opposes those which Public Service" Is
| opposing.
Not naturally the Investigator is let to
wonder if the political business of Newark
and Essex county is anything more than
| one of the many activities of public Ser
vice"
He is next Informed that the leading
banks are controlled by this group. Bust
! ness men, even city officials, speak fur
| lively and in whispers of the despotic
power of those prominent in Public
Service I'm in their power" they say;
'if ] should come out openly against them
they would call my loans and ruin me-"
III society and club life one hears again
of the s..'otle influence of this powerful
organization. There are stories of men
blaok-balled at the Essex County club be-
cause they nave opposed Public Service.
All that is rich and respectable and out
wardly good in Newark seems to draw it's
substance from the massive stone building
at Broad and Bank streets.
Early in 1903 the Public Service Corpnr-
alton of New Jersey was launcned. The
object of the new holding company was to
acquire all the street car, gas, and electric
light companies of the state; and in the
pursuit of this object, with che exception
Of certain companies in Elizabeth and
Trenton, it has been successful. The
Offices OF the three conlpanies-the Pru-
Dental, the Fidelity Trust Company, and
the Public Service. which are now in
eNtricably woven together-are all in the
Prudential building. The Union National
bank, across Broad street, is also owned
by these interests.
The Prudential shares the control of the
Public Service Corporation with the
Equitable Life society, of New York, and
the United Gas Improvement company, CT
Philadelphia, the latter, perhaps. better
known as the philadelphia Gas ring"
which has lately received the attentions
of Mayor Weaver and the decent citizens
! of that city.
Thus we SEE that three great financial
Institutions In New York, Philadelphia and
Newark come together in the latter city
for the control, through the Public Service
Corporation. OF practically all the public
utilities of that city and state.
1t should be clear TO the reader that the
Public Service Corporation exists solely
for the lrpose of extracting as much
money as possible from the pepole of
Newark and of New Jersey. In this con-
%nection. the use of the name, Public Ser
vice" becomes humorous. The Service
given in all departments is singularly
wretched. These local ordinances, which
We're devised to compel the corporation to
run modern, we'll heated cars on reason
ably short Roadway and to put it's wires
underground, are held IN derision by the
corporation. The point of the business is
that Public Service" is not interested in
doing these things we'll. What it is inter-
ested in is simply getting the maximum of
money with the minimum of effort. There
still exists, in the minds of a good many
of us, 4 vague notion that these public
service corporations are concerned in
some unexplained way over the develop
ment and welfare of our communities
They are not, excepting as such develop
ment means the possibility of more
money.