Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-08
MAKE REPORT ON
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
TWO INVESTIGATORS DO NOT
AGREE
one Makes caustic Comment on
Political Rottenness, While tho
Other Says It Is No Worse
Than other Places
Ru Associated press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 7.-After an IN
vestigation extending over nearly TWO
years and embracing may OF the prln-
cipal cities, both of the United states
and Great Britain, the national civic
Federation commission on public owner
ship and operation has completed lts
duties. The important and interesting
reports on labor conditions are the nrst
TO be made public. There are two re-
ports on this subject one by Prof. John
r. Commons of Wisconsin unlVerslty,
and the other by ]. w. Sullivan, edltor
of the Clothing Trades Bulletin OF New
York. The report of Prot' Colliiliois, il,i >;
under the title of Labor and Politics,
is more favorable to municipal owner
ship of public utilities than is that OIL
Mr.. Sullivan, made under the general
heading, 1.-THE Labor Report" Mr.. SUI
livan makes caustic reference TO polltl-
cal rottenness, evidence as to Whlcn ne
declares was conclusive in Syracuse,
Allegheny and Wheeling. Prof.. COM
mons on the other hand, holds tnat
corruption under municipal control was
no greater than under private owner
ship.
The committee of investigation of the
commission is composed of twenty-one
members. as follows: w. D. Mahon,
president of Amalgamated Association
of Street and Electric Railways OF
America: Prof. John r. Commons OIL
the University of Wisconsin; j. w. sui
Ivan. editor of the weekly -3ulletln OF
the clothing trades, and a prominent
labor leader; Walton Clark, vice presl-
dent of the United Gas l11proVement
company. Philadelphia; Daniel j.
Keefe. president of the International
I,onsshoreman, Marine and Transport
workers. association; Walter l.. Fisher,
president of the Municipal voters
league of Chicago; Melville e. ingalls,
(chairman) chairman of the Cleveland,
Cincinnati. Chicago & st, Louis Rail-
road company; Prof. Frank J. Goodnow
of Columbia university; DR.. Albert
Shaw. vice chairman, editor or tne
American Monthly Review of Reviews;
Edward A. Moffett. secretary. editor OF
the Bricklayer and Mason; Edward W..
Bemis superintendent of water works,
Cleveland Ohio; Milo R. Maltbie, for
mer editor of Municipal Affairs of New
York; Charles L. Edgar, president Oh
the Edison Electric and Illuminating
company of Boston; H. B. T. Macfar-
land. commissioner of the District of
Columbia: w. J. Clark, foreign man
ager for the General Electric company,
New York city; Timothy Healy, presl-
dent International Brotherhood of Sta
tionary Firemen; DR.. Ialcott Williams,
Journalist; F. ]. McNulty, president OF
international Brotherhood of Electric
al Workers: Prof. John Il. Gray OF
Northwestern university; Prof. Franh
Parsons president of the Nat.onal PUB
lie Ownership league; and Albert H.
Winchester. general superintendent OF
fhe electric works of the city of South
Norwalk. Conn.
Committees Investigation
The commits ion has made most ex-
haustive investigation of public ana
private operation of the four Leading
public utilities, gas, water, electflc
lighting and power, and street railways,
in all the cities visited, both In Amerl-
ca and Great Britain. Fifteen members
of the investigating committee sailed
for Europe on lay 21 last year and re-
turned to the United States in August.
Among the cities visited abroad were
Glasgow, Newcastle-on-Tyne, London,
Liverpool Norwich, Manchester, Bir-
mingham. Dublin, Leicester and Shef-
field. Investigations in the United
States were made in Cleveland, chi
cago, Philadelphia, Wheeling, Detroit
indianapolis, Richmond. Atlanta, South
Norwalk, Syracuse, Allegheny, New
Haven and Hartford. A staff of engi-
neers accountants and statisticians,
numbering over twenty. of national
reputation, were employed to examine
thoroughly every undertaking visited
by the commission.
These experts were so chosen that IN
each examination made both SIDES OF
the municipal ownership question were
represented. Thus, one engineer, ac-
countant or statistician approached the
subject under consideration faVorably
disposed toward municipalization, Whlle
his colleague began his task hoidlng
views in opposition to that principle.
Certain effects of the municipal own
ership movement in Great Britain on
the private companies are evident, says
Prof. Commons. The Sheffield company,
under the far-seeing management OF Slr
Frederick Mappin, has directed its
policy for many years with the distinct
purpose of meeting the arguments for
municipal ownership. To avoid agitation
it has refrained from going to parlla'
ment for permission to increase its
capital stock. Consequently it has dis
tributed it's large surplus profits in the
form of reduced prices for gas and bet
terrnents to it's plant. Most instructive
Of all is the attitude of the companies
toward their employees With the senti-
ment of municipal ownership ready tc
explode, the companies cannot AFFORD tc
risk a strike. The Newcastle gas COM
pany has met this situation by a will
ing recognition of the Gas Workers
union and by a resort to arbitration
through which wages have been ma
terially raised. The South metropolitan
company has developed it's copartner-
ship scheme with astonishing shrewd-
ness and careful attention to details, Sc
that every disaffected workman is silen
or dismissed. The Sheffield company
although It's president had openly at.
tackled and wrecked trade unions in hi:
private business, contented itself witt
gradually undermining the Gas Work
ers union, through the payment ol
wages and bonuses superior to those
paid by other private employers of the
district, and even in the case of un-
skilled labor, superior to those paid by
the corporation of Sheffield.
The influence of wage earners through
their unions upon the conditions o.
municipal employment in the United
States has been complicated through
the presence and activity of pEactica
politicians. In the municipal enter
prises Investigated, except South Nor
walk and Richmond the eight-hour da!
has been established for the past tel