Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-08
Result of Exhaustive Study Of
Subject at Home and Abroad
Made Public by Commits
sion.
EXPERTS DIFFER WIDELY
ON MERITS OF SYSTEM
CauStic Reference to Political
Corruption in Cities 0perat-
ing Their Own UtiIitieSi Ia
boris Position in Politics,
tny Morning journal Special Leased wire.I

DUI D UollIUll III OHt''Oi
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire
New York. July After an inVes-
tigatiOn extending over nearly two
years and embracing many "f ne
principal cities both Of the United
states and Great Britain, the Ne
tlonal civic Federation Commission
on Public ownership and Operation
has completed its duties. The imp1r-
tant and interesting reports IN labor
conditions are the first TO be MADE
public. There are two reports on this
subject. one by Professor john r.
of Wisconsin university,
and the other by j. w. sullivan, ellt'r
of the Clothing Trades Bulietln, u
New York. The report Of Professor
Commons. under the title Of Labor
and Politics" is more faVorebe 10
municipal ownership of public utilities
than is that Of Mr.. Sullivan. made
under the general heading, The La
Dor Report" Mr.. sullivan MAKES
caustic reference to political 20 ten
ness. evidence as to which he dt-
clares was conclusive i'm Sykl2Ise. AZ
lephcnv and Wheeling. "Professlr
Commons. on the other hand, hollis
that corruption under municipal con-
troll was no greater than under pliNal"
ownership.
The committee of Investigation #
the commission is composed Of tN"n-
ty-onc members, as follows: w, D.
Aahon. president Of Amalgamated As
ISOLATION OF street and tslectric .taf'"
ways of America; Professor john -
Commons, Of the University of v 3
consin. J. w. sullivan, editor IF Inc
weekly "Pullctin' Of the clothinS
trades. and a prominent labor leaoec'
Walton Clark, vice president OF me
United Gas Improvement compAnN'
Philadelphia. Daniel j. Keefe. prcsi-
dent of The International Longsho"c-
man. Marine and Transport WORKERS
association; Walter J.. Fisher, pr'al-
lent of the Municipal Voters league
of Chicago; Melville +. ingalls, tch"it-
mani. chairman of the Cleveland, Ctu-
cinnati. Chicago and 81. Louis Rail-
road company; Professor Frank D.
GoodnuN. of Columbia university lr.
Albert shaw Wicc chairman. editor
of the American Monthly Review oi
RcvicWs;" Edward \. Moffett (sec-
rotary). editor of the "BricklaYer ana
Mason Edward W. Bcmis. suporin- I
tsndent Of waterworks, Cleveland
Ohio: Milo II. Maltbic. formerly editor
Of Municipal Affairs OF New YORK
Charles l.. Edgar. prcsideut OF the
Edison Electric and Illuminating COM
panV. of Boston: II. B +. Macfarland,
commissioner Of the District OF Co
lumbia: W. j.. Clark. foreign manager
for the General Electric company
New York city; Timothy Healy. pres
ident Intarnational Brotherhood of
stationary Firemen: Dr.. Talcott Will
Jams. journalist. +. }. McNulty, presi-
dent International brotherhood ut
Electrical Workers; Professor John
II. Gray. Of Northwestern university
Professor Frank Parsons, president ~
the National Public ownership (.
and Albert L. Winchester,
superintendent Of the cleo
trie works OF the city of South Nur-
walk. Conn.
The Committees Investigation.
The commission has made n most
exhaustive investigation of public ana
private operation Of The four leading
public utilities. gas, water, electric
and power. n street rall-
iu all the cities visited, both IN
America and Great Britain. Fifteen
OF the investigating commit
Zee sailed for Europe on May % last
wear and returned To- the United states
August. Among the cities visited
abroad were Glasgow, NeWcastle-on-
Tyne. London, Liverpool, Norwich
Manchester. Birmingham, Duhlih
Leicester and Sheffield. lnYestlga-
lions in the United states were made
IN Cleveland. Chicago. Philadelphia,
Wheeling. Detroit, Indianapolis. Rich
mond. Atlanta, South Norwalk. SAra-
use. Allegheny. New Have ana Harl-
ford. 4 staff Of engineers. account
and statisticians. numbering aver
Of national reputation. were
EMPLOYED To examine thoroughly
every undertaking visited by the tom-
These experts were 50 chosen. that
In each examination made both sides
" the municipal ownership question
represented. Thus. n engineer.
accountant or statistician approached
he subject under consideration favor
ably disposed toward multiplication.
while his colleague began his task
views IN opposition 10 that
principle.
Municipal Ownership Abroad.
Certain effects ~ the municipal
ownership movement iu Great Britain
ln INC private companies are evident.
sses Professor Commons The Shelf
field company. under the far-seeinE
management 81 sir Frederick Mappln.
has uirec'ed its policy for many years
iHn the MA-lINEf NAfNNrF NA A'NNr
he arguments FOR municipal owner
ship. To avoid agitation DO has re-
from going Co parliament for
lermissiun to increase lte capital
Consequently H has distributed
ts large surplus profits DOB the form
lf reduced prices Tor gas and better
ucnis Co Sc plant Most Instructive
p all o. me attitude uf the cumpanle-
.pward their employee with ne
ointment 90 municipal ownership
ready Co explode. he cumpanie- r1"
afford fo rick a strike The Nch-
asiIe gas company has met thls s
atiun hy q willing recognition " -he
ls workers Lninn and nf q resort
rhifrafiun through whiah wages have
u materially raised The south
.r1unlifln company hss
rn-farfaershIp srheme nitH HsiHN
ming ~shrrWdrrae 81 CAREFUL aftnn-
HU fob lef1IIa . fa.T NfrrN N-
rfri workman d silent nr dI-wIs
-H The shrfle.d company although