Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1907-07-11
A FOE TO GENESIS
Investigation Made On Municipal
Ownership and Interesting Report
Made

New York, July.-After an investi-
cation extending over nearly two
years and embracing many of the
principal cities, both of the United
States and Great Britain, the Nation
al Civic Federation Commission On
Public Ownership and Operation has
completed its duties The important
and interesting reports on labor con-
ditions are the first to be made public.
There are two reports on this subject
one by Professor John R. Commons of
Wisconsin University, and the other
by j. w. Sullivan, editor of the Cloth
ing Trade Bulletin of New York. The
report of Professor Commons, under
the title of Labor and Politics." is
more favorable to municipal owner
ship of public utilities than is that OF
Mr.. Sullivan, made under the general
heading, The Labor Report" Mr..
Sullivan makes caustic reference to
political rottenness, evidence as to
which he declares was conclusive in
Syracuse, Allegheny, and Wheeling.
Professor Commons, on the other
hand, holds that corruption under
municipal control was no greater than
under private ownership.
The commission has made a most
exhaustive investigation of public and
private operation of the four leading
public utilities, gas water, electric
lighting and power, and street rail
ways, in all the cities visited, both
in America and Great Britain. Fiji
teen members of the Investigating
Committee sailed for Europe on May
% last year and returned to the Unit
ed States in August. Among the CT
ties visited abroad were Glasgow,
Newcastle-on-Tyne London, Liver
pool, Norwich Manchester, Birming
ham, Dublin, Leicester and Sheffield.
Investigations in the United States
were made in Cleveland, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Wheeling, Detroit, In
dianapolis, Richmond, Atlanta, South
Norwalk Syracuse, Allegheny, New
Haven, and Hartford. A staff of engi-
neers, accountants and statisticians,
numbering over 20, of national repu
tation, were employed to examine
thoroughly every undertaking visited
by the committee.
These experts were so chosen that
in each examination mad1 both sides
of the municipal ownership question
were represented. Thus, one engineer,
accountant or statistician approached
the subject under consideration ia
vorably disposed toward municipali-
zation, while his colleague began his
task holding views in opposition to
that principle.
The views expressed by Professor
Comons are in many respects favora-
BILE to municipal ownership. He finds.
however, that the proper method of
dealing with employees is the most diff
ficult and critical problem of munich
pal ownership, and he favors recOgni-
ton of organized labor as safeguard
against the pressure of outside (po-
litical recommendations.
On examining municipalization as
exhibited in the labor reports, Mr..
| Sullivan declares, it is seen to be
project to restrict men in their activ-
| tiles by methods foreign to the Ameri-
can genius, while in practice it has
failed to make out the case of its ad-
vocates as in the least measure a
step forward in promoting the best
interests of the employees of the en-
| terprises investigated, or of the oc-
equations most closely interviewer
with them, or of the nations broaden
| ing masses.