The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-08
WHEN LABOR'S MVNICTPALIZED
REPORTS TO CIVIC FEEDER lTIOV
FIND NJ NAN NATURE ATOF'.


IL Pull Whatever Name IL hsears.
After an investigation extending over
nearly two year and embrac cling many of
the principal cities both of the United
States and Great Britain, the National Civic
Federation commission on public owner
ship and operation has completed its duties.
Two reports on labor and Politics" are the
first to be made public, one by Prof. John X.
Commons Of the University of Wisconsin and
the other by j. w. Sullivan, editor Of the
Clothing Trades Bulletin Of New York. The
report of Prof. Commons il more favorable
to municipal ownership Of public utilities
than is that Of Mr.. Sullivan. Mr.. Sullivan
makes caustio references 10 political rot
t~enness, evidence as to which he declares
was conclusive in Syracuse. Allegheny and
Wheeling. Prof. Commons, on The other
hand, holds that corruption under municipal
control was no greater than under private
ownership.
The commission has investigated the
public and private operation of the four
leading public utilities. gas, water, electric
lighting M power and street railways, in
ell the cities visited both in America and
Great Britain. Fifteen member OF the In
~vestigatipg committee sailed for Europe on
May % last year and returned to the United
States in August.
The views expressed by Prof. Commons
are In many respects favorable TO municipal
ownership. He finds, however, that the
proper. method Of dealing with employees
il the most difficult and critical problem
OF municipal ownership and he favors recog-
milton of organized labor as a safeguard
against h pressure Of outside fpoliticaD
recommendations. On thiss subject he SAYS
; The appointment. promotion and dismissal
OF employees and the wa ges to be paid OFFER
peculiar opportunities for political and per-
sonal u inconsistent with efficiency.
Civil service reform. so called. has been
found In It's highest perfection In the city OF
Chica go. but 1t is evident by comparison with
a less perfect device In Syracuse that its in
tegrity depends on the political influences
that control the Mayor and the heads of de-
partments. II the head of the department
lie independent of politics. as shown in Cleve-
land. Detroit and South Norwalk the Civil
Service Commission is not needed. The
Chioago system Ia O temporary bulwark built
around the departments until such time as
the chief oficer himself can also be protected
from political selection. This il the case in
British cities. where the idea of a Civil Service
Commission Is unknown. But even there.
ESPECIALLY IN Tue 0ueWelu ITHinWayS, appoint
ments have been made on the recommenda-
ton OF councillors. The experience of Glas-
COW is instructive. Fifteen years ago the
practice OF hiring employees on the recon-
mendation OF councillors was universal in
all departments. But with the growth OF
municipal ownership II has almost disap-
pesred.
Our Investigations have shown that the
strongest safeguard for a mana ger against
aha nxaaa.rA 80 A..NalIA recommendation.
Ia the recognition of organized labor within
his department. Wherever We have found
o class Of employees organized and dealt with
as such through their representatives We
have found those positions exempt from
politics. This follows from the nature of
In Dor organization, which cannot survive IL
individuals are given preference on political,
religious. personal or any other grounds than
the character OF the work they do. Even in
the politically honeycombed municipal under
taking at Allegheny the union of electrical
workers stopped the practice of paying assess
ments by its members for political campaig ns.
The success OF the civil service system of
Chicago Is owing more than anything else
10 the fact that organized labor has one OF
the three members on each examining board.
The manager of the Manchester
sscribes his freedom from interference by
Individual councillors to his recognition of
the union that holds 30 per cent. of his motor
men and conductors.
/ take IL that the key to the whole question
OF municipal or private ownership is the
question of politics. For politics Is simply
the question of getting and keeping the right
kind OF men to manage and operate tie
municipal undertakings. or to superviA ..
re gulate and bargain with the private under
takings. The kinds of business that we are
dealing with are essentially monopolies
performing n public service and are COM
PEELED to make use Of the streets, which ar,
public property. If their owners are private
companies they are compelled to get theil
franchises and all privileges of doing bust.
ness and all terms and conditions OF ser vice
from the municipal authorities. And in carry
ing out their contracts with the municipality
they are dealing continually with municipal
officials. Consequently 1t is absurd to assume
that private ownership is non-political. II il
just as much a political question to get and
keep honest or businesslike municipal ON eials
who will drive good bargains with private
companies on behalf Of the public and then
see that the bargains are lived up to as it IL
to get similar officials TO operate a municipal
plant. We do not escape politics by resorting
private ownership we only get Il different
kind Of practical politics.
The secretary OF the Wheeling Gas Trustees.
quoted by my collea que as tsstifying to the
political rottenness OF The municipal gas
works. Is the same man who testified to the
political rOttenness of the private gas. cleo
trtcity and street car companies of that local
Instead of relying on his statements
interviewed a large number OF officials, poll
ticians. business men, employees and OF hers
checked up his statements respecting
both the gas works aud the corporations.
This shows that while the gas works are ia
politics the public service corporations are
also In politics. The gas employees take
part in the primaries OF the Republican party
and the motormen and conductors OF the
street car companies are given leave of ab-
sence on pay to work in the primaries OF both
the Republican and Democratic parties. Even
the officers Of the street railway employees
union take part I'm this kind Of traction politics
on behalf of their employees. The Council
men and Aldermen nominated and elected in
this way control the municipal gas works aud
they control the franchises and contracts IF
the private companies. The City Hall ring
is just as much a ring of the political tools Of
the private corporations as IL IL the ring of
politicians. To Dick out the poll
tics of the gas works and not TO see that il is
bound up with the politics Of the private
corporations would be a perverse and one
sided method Of Investigation. The report
gives not selected facts but all of the facts
I'm the situation Indeed the secretarv nf