The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-07

| 'oJ AhSO POlISiCS. lane IL away Ny
government ownership and all would
be we'll. He gave a bunch of startling
instances of franchise steals. The Of
fer of Wanamaker to give $2,500.00O
for franchise in Philadelphia which
the corrupt city council gave away,
was parted off with the schedule of
bribery prices found by Folk of Mis-
souri, in his investigation of ST. Louis.
The trouble with Wanamaker was that
he offered to pay the city instead of
the councilmen. The career of Boss
Yerkes the great Chicago street rail-
way magnate was shown up and his
remark that the people hanging on
straps paid the dividends, was eff
fectively used.
| Livengood pleaded for the removal
of this living city ulcer" the fran
chise. If the city had control and the
officials were not fair they could be
ousted at next election but franchises
lasted for 25 years.
Failed In England.
Alton c. Allen, of Pacific, made a
strong point in starting by saying that
If his opponent had claimed that there
was corruption in dealing with a few
things how much greater would it be
| if the councils were entrusted with
greater things. England had
| tried municipal ownership for
| 20 years, and found it a fail
10 To no oil
| to private ownership.
| There would not be that continuity of
| management under municipal owner
| ship necessary for business success.
| If officials were changed every year
they would not have time to get ac-
Quainted with the business. He cited
| instances where municipal ownership
had failed and the people were glad to
return to private ownership. America
had the finest system in the world I'M
der private ownership. 1t is contrary
to our theory Of government, which
is to foster private initiative.
Under municipal ownership there
would be no incentive to be progress
sive. In Glasgow which has complete
municipal ownership, but 6 miles of
railways have been built. This sys-
tenn does not invent Or exploit like
the private ownership system. This
would be worse in America where po-
litical conditions are bad Municipal
ownership will not lower fares for this
depends on good management which
cannot be gotten under city control.
Wherever it has been tried congested
districts have been found.
Greenslade Was Brilliant.
Greenslade was third speaker for
Whitman. The veteran debater was
king of the platform last night and he
never did better. Whitman's victory
is due in no small measure to his
speech. His rebuttal work was telling,
being analytical rather than choppy
which is often the fault of rebuttal in
college debates. He demolished the
nicipal ownership was unprOgressive
by showing that Boston and New York
could not get subways until the cities
built them. He quoted from govern
ment authority to show that in water
works and gas plants over the United
States municipal ownership had been
the most successful financially. But he
said that the affirmative was not arg
uing primarily from a financial point
of view. What did it matter if one
city made a financial success of pri-
vate ownership fit brought about the
moral ruin of 20? 1t was not fair to
compare England with the United
States, but England under private
pal ownership He quoted to show
that the cities of England made $S,-
100000 above expenses through the
management Of street car lines. But
it was the social good of the cities
which the affirmative contended for
and Greenslade brought out power
fully by numerous citations from Eng
land and Germany that municipal
ownership killed corruption and gave
better service.
Wdr0e prove 6HeCtlVes
James r. Warde of Pacific, was one
of the most effective speakers on the
platform. He gave the impression of
mastery of his subject which is the
greatest strength in a debater and he
calmly dealt sledge hammer blows at
the carefully reared argument of his
opponents. Municipal ownership had
brought on socialism in Europe. The
scheme was impracticable in America
today because of our present political
system. If the human heart was cor
rupt a change Of system would not al
ter it. If city councils gave valuable
franchises for brides how much more
mischief would there be if the whole
affair was entrusted to theme
But the danger of political corrup-
ton through the army of city employees
which would be necessary, was the
point which Warde made most effec
tive He showed this to be a real dang
er so great that in England disfran-
chiSement was freely talked of. Even |