The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-04-09
Perhaps Not So Great In Extent
as Here, but Yet Well Started.

who writes so much in praise OF mun!c-
ipal ownership, the British form OF
socialism. admits that there is graft III
England, but says it is all practced
Inv the lords and milliOnaircs. NO
graft. he declares, has crept in through
the municipal ownership and operation
of public utilities.
Graft in England may not be OF su'h
MAGNITUDE as in the United states,
said an Englishman who Is well known
in public life. but is neither lord nor
n millionaire, "but it exists here as
certainly as it does in America. 1t Is
carried on along similar lines, and, los
tered by the opportunities which the
rising tide of municipal trading affords,
it IS rapidly growing in magnitude. IL
is owing to our overStrict llDel laws
and TO the fact that immunity may not
he granted under English law TO one
who confcsses to accepting bride mat
the corruption now 50 well known TO
exist in our municipal governments has
not been effectively exposed long ago
THE newspapers know all about IT.,
and they know who are the grafters
but they do not dare to expose the sit
uation, and until the proper statutes
are enacted it will be almost impossl-
bic to punish grafters through the
courts.
"Not 50 very long ago certain
speech was reported in one Of the
London newspapers. The speechmak-
err was indignant for neither the sub
ject matter of the speech nor the cir
cumstances under which 1t was deliv-
cred were creditable to him, and he
brought a suit for damages on the
ground that the libel laws had been
violated. It was not claimed that the
speech was incorrectly reported; in
deed, 1t was admitted that the report
was substantially without error, yet
nevertheless heavy damages were
awarded to the plaintiff on the grounds
that the plaintiffs reputation had been
injured and that the publisher could
not show that the publication Of the
report was of benefit to the public.
a little longer ago it was suspected
that members of the council of London
borough Of Poplar had been accepting
brides from contractors who We're fur
nishing materials and supplies. Detec-
tives were put upon the case and the
facts were run down. Certain of the
contractors and councilmen, confront
ed with these facts, confessed and
promised to go upon the stand in court
and testify to the truth. In due time
one of the guilty men took the stand
as promised and told the story as
agreed.
"IIe was Immediately arrested as a
criminal under the law as its stands
and slated for an early trial. This
chilled the enthusiasm of the others
who had promised to confess and they
changed their minds promptly and If
revocably. AS the prosecution was
thus left without witnesses, the inves-
tigation was brought to an abrupt
close
"Now, the installation ana operation
of tramways, electric light works. gas
works, etc, Involves the letting Of
many large contracts by men who hold
because they are fitted by training and
experience to let such contracts, but
because they have succeeded through
petty politics in getting elected They
receive no pay for their services and
In many cases are men without finan-
cial resources of any consequence.
"There are contractors In England
n IN, 4 a.
above getting contracts through brib-
cry, and there are council members of
the grade | have mentioned who are
no more able to resist the temptation
to be bribed In England than they
would be In America. If it would not
sound unpatriotic, might go so far as
to say that since municipal trading has
so increased the magnitude Of munich |
pal contracts Englishmen In many cit
les have been known to seek election
TO the councils In order to have the
chance to be bribed.
I'VE could today make exposures Of
graft In London and more than ono
other English city that would stort,o
American readers even, accustomed nc
'hS! "iC " lcdulHS graft stories If wo
could only give immunity to whoever
might be either scared or reasoned info
the truth. In other words
ownership and operation Of
pubic utilities in England are ronidlr
honeycombing all our municipol rov.
ernments with graft
The law makes an execution wifi,
regard to election bribery charges and
may lawfully be promised
10 those whose testimony is nocdad 70
the guilty. This has onoh,od
us to unearth many election jrragn,a r"
lties' as The readers of English no,,.a
papers know very we'll, and evnntrou,.
we are going to be able to unoorth ~
lac's with regard TO bribery and ~,
oery IN English municipal admin,s tpo- 9
non. We are we'll aware how ,svra a
lnat IL VIII probably be quite 90 1,m a
,ult TO JOB as 1t was thirty odd r n.un, i
lgo IN America to unearth tbo U ecu se''ls p
y r, by New York's notnr %aus e