Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1907-01-03
AN HONEST GRAF TER.

kl1 nUnEOI uhAF |th
A Glimpse Into the Future Of lsu-
nisipal Ownership.
A Thumb rlaiI Sketch Of "Practical
Polisician'--Tae Profits of an All
Around Servant Of the People, Who
Seen His Opportunities and Took
EN-"
"Honest graft" will reach its highest
level when, as predicted by the en-
thusiasts, the principles Of municipal
ownership are accepted by New York
and the city controls the trolley lines,
the electric light and gas works and
all the ferries as well as the water
works and the police, the fire and the
street departments.
Then such patriots as George Wash
ington Plunkitt, for many years Or
ganization leader of tie Fifteenth dis
trict in New York, will reap rewards of
greater magnitude than they have ever
been able to gather unaer the present
order of things.
Perhaps you have never heard about
Mr.. Plunkitt's "honest graft" schemes.
he told about them himself In a book
published last year, which was intro
duced by paragraph indorsing him as
a veteran leader of the organization" )"
signed by its greatest chief.
Plunllitt was sore because there were
some objections to graft being made
out of the city by men like him, and in
the first chapter of his book he uttered
a vigorous protest. "Blackmailin' gam
b.ers, saloon Keepers, disorderly peo-
pie, etc. he admitted to be wrong.
That was dishonest graft"
But he added, there's an honest
graft, and I'm an example of how it
works. seen my opportunities and
took 'em."
Mr.. Plunkitt's explanation Of how he
did these things will illuminate the
possibilities of future municipal owner
ship days, il they ever come.
After calculating the ways he was
tipped Off at various times by mem
berss6f his party-tlle party in power
when new bridges, new parks, new
streets were to be opened, so that he
might invest in real estate likely to
rise in price from the improvements
contemplated, he adds: II haven't con-
fined myself to land. Anything that
pays is in my line" Then he gives a
specific Instance:
Learning that the city was about to
repave a certain street and so would
have several hundred thousand old
paving blocks to sell, he was ION hand
to buy" and he knew just what they
were worth" But L newspaper tried
to do him" and got some outside men
from Brooklyn and New Jersey to bid
against him. Mr. Plunkitt's own words
tell the story best:
"Was 1 done? Not much. went
to each Of the men and said, How
many of those 250.O0O stones do you
want?' One said 100000 and another
wanted $4,000, and another wanted 1O,-
600. said, 'All right; let rle bid for
the lot, and I'll give each Of you all
you want for nothin'.'
"They agreed, of course. Then the
auctioneer yelled, How much am ] bid
for these fine PAWN stones?
Two dollars and fifty cents says l.
""Two dollars and fifty cents!
screamed the auctioneer. oh, that's q
joke. Give me real bid
"IIe found the bid was real enough
My rivals stood silent. got the lot for
$3.50 and gave them their share. That's
how the attempt 10 do Plunkitt ended
and that's how all such attempts end"
1t is hardly ncccssa..., III the light OF
this authentic statement of "honcst
CRAFTS" workings, to enlarge upon the
extended opportunities that would
come to TIE men of the PluIkitt stamp
were the dream of municipal owner.
ship to come true. Plnnh.;t say; "isost
politicians who are accused Oh rab.5.n'
the city get rich the same way" lie !Il
"Thcy didn't steal Il dollar from the
city. They just seen their oppoTt:Li..c.
and took them"
While in the legislature plu:;kit! in
troduced the Eills that provided for the
outlying parks of New York, the Iiar-
lem river speedway, the Washington
bridge, the One Hundred and Fifty
fifth street viaduct, additions to THE
Museum OF Natural History and many
other important public improvements
He is now millionaire Under the
proposed order of things, with city con.
troll of everything, he might become a
Millionaire.
Under municipal ownership of all
public utilities in New York and in
most other cities in fact-polticians
like Plunkitt, who at different times
has been elected state senator, Assem-
blyman, county supervisor aud alder
man by his fellow citizens, besides
serving us police magistrate for one
term, and who boasts of his record in
filling four public Offices in one year
and drawing salaries from three of
them at the same time, would flourish
like whole grove Of green bay trees.
Go Slow on City Ownership.
Until politics in America is purified
for J,ax,opJ Nc yrocnpf oorI;{iav o,,,