The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-09
SOCIALISTS PLAN
A BIG CAMPAIGN
Milwaukee Movement for Municipal Ownership
Includes Ice Plants Woodyards, Phones,
Dredges and Plumbing Shops. -

the. other and in this city are counted
as the sharpest organizers of any of the
political parties
The plan for, condemning the public
utilities, including the gas, the tele-
phone, the street railway and electric
lighting plants, is now pending before
the. council. The scheme is being
have some support from the other
parties. - ~ =:
The resolution provides that the city
attorney draft bills giving the. city
power to begin condemnation proceed.
ings: The bill will then be taken to
the legislature, which will be asked to
enact a law giving the municipality
power to proceed. 1922 .t-e- :. TE<4
The corporations affected are the Mil
waukee Gas Light company, the Mil
waukee Electric Railway and !. Light
company, the Wisconsin Telephone com
pany:: b.: ~ 80
=, War on "Local Monopolies.''
The. establishment Of number Of
industries by the city is to combat what
the socialists contend are local nionop-
olles: The agitation for a wood and
coal yard grows out Of the coal strike,
when it was impossible to obtain coal
here. That for municipal dredge is
the result Of high rates that have been
charged here for dredging. The plan
for an ice plant grows out of the fact
that the socialists say local ice prices
are too high. They charge that the
local plumbers are in a trust and pro-
pose to break it by establishing compe-
tition. +. The. slaughter house idea
begun against the packing industries.
The Modus operandi.
The legislation is in the hands Of
William +. Thiel, well-known attorney
who is socialist. interviewed on the
plan Of his associates, Mr.. Thiel ex-
planned as follows:
"We take the position that the state
can give public service corporations the
right to condemn property, that it can
give municipalities the same power to
condemn public service corporation
property. These corporations operate
by authority Of the state and municip-
atty. 1t seems reasonable, therefore,
that the municipalities have the right
to take over such property. What we
purpose to do is to get the legislature
to give the city power to condemn the
! properties. They are monopolies and
will always remain such. ~ -:
eve then propose to appoint APP
! pralsers, give the corporations what
ever their plants are worth and let the
city run them. We propose: to pay for
y
! or good will. The franchises came from
the city and there is no reason why the
| city should pay for them This method
has never been tried, but there is not
the slightest doubt in my mind that it
can be done. The fact that the COM
panies have franchises from the city
will not stand in: our way.
'" 49, Says Cause Will Win.
, .tMunicipal S4ownershin ~ ORIGINATES
| with socialism,, The socialist was the
| first to favor. it. = While the measures
we have proposed cannot be termed
socialstic in the full sense Of the word,
yet they lean in that. direction and
their accomplishment is a step in the
right direction. Municipal ownership
and socialism are bound to come. It
may take years to- accomplish it, but
we will win. We were for it when the
old parties. had nothing to say On the
question of public ownership. Since it
became popular, the old parties have
stolen our thunder. New Zealand has
tried it. and found it practical. Why
not try it in America?'' =