The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-08

arship, Is the question OF politics. For
politics Is simply the question of get
ting and kooping tho right kind OF
men TO manage and operate the NUNS
Cipal undertakings. or To superNise'
Regulate and bargain with the MI
Nate undertakings Tho kinds OF bnste
meas TINT we are dealing with are
essentially mononnlies performing y
public service, and are compelled 10
make use Of the streets, which are pun
1ic property III their owners are pri-
Sate companies they are comnelled 10
get their franchises and all priNi-
1egos Of doing business. and all terms
Bnd conditions Of service from the mu-
a1icipal authorities. And IN carving
out their contract with the mnnici-
,pality they Are dealing continually
with municipal officials. Consequently
II is absurd to assume that private
owneish;p is non-poliicaL 1t is just
ms much political question to get
and keep honest or husness-like muni-
cipal officials who viii drive good bar
igains With private companies on be-,
half of the public and then see that
the bargains are lived up to, MS II is to
get similar officials to operate muni-
cipnl plant. We do not escape politics
by resorting TO private ownership--we
only get different kind of practical
politics.
Examples In Various Cities.
Referring to unfavorable conditions
politically under municipal operation
ana citing IAN investigation of the
Wheeling Gas-W Works, Pxfessor COM
mons says:
4 THE secretary of the Wheeling gas
trustees, quoted by my colleague as
testifying TO the political rottenness
of the municipal gas-works, Is the
same man who testified to the political
rottenness of the private gas, electrici-
ty and street car companies of that
locality. Instead of relying on his
statements, l interviewed large num-
Der OF officials. politicians, business
men. employees and Others, and check
ed up his statements respecting both
the gas-works and the corporations.
This shows that while the gas-works
are in politics, the public-service cor
porations are also in politics. inc
gas employees take part in the prl-
s1naries OF the Republican party and
\ the motormen and conductors or the
street car companies are given leave
OF absence on pay to work in the pri-
maries of both the Republican and DEM
4 ocratic parties Even the officers of
the street railway employees union
take part in this kind of traction poll
TICS on DenalI OF tI!Sll eiipIoS i ile
I councilmen and aldermen nominated
tand elected III this way control the
municipal gas-works and they control
the franchises and contracts of the
private companies. The City Hal!
Ring is just as much a ring of the
political tools of the private corpora
tions as It is the ring OF municipal
politicians. To pick out the politics
tot the gas-works and not to see that
it is bound up with the politics of
f,he private corporations would be a
Gperverse and one-sided method of in
restigation. The report gives not Sc
Elected facts but all of the facts in
1.-THE situation. Indeed the secretary of
the Wheeling ga trustEs in his in
ldignation towards the political man
Rgement Of the gas works, referred to
by my colleague, was Dfeated in the
Republican primaries by the motor
men and conductors Of the street car
company on leave OF absence as poltti-
cal workers
IN general, Prof. Commons finds
frzcnsSapa labor batter paid hE tnEa.cI-
g1sassEss i AE1s-Acs Than ny 2E:ra'e
risr-.-1n-s@s-
FS, s.rSg;f.sr-s y.y,r-