The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-07-08
CIVIC FEDERATION on
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
Continued from page one.)

politan company has developed its
copartnershlp scheme with astonish-
ing shrewdness and careful attention
TO details. so that every disaffected
workman is silent or dismissed. The
Sheffield company, although its presi-
dent had openly attacked and
wrecked trade unions in his private
business, contented itself with grad
nally undermining the gas workers
union, through the payment OF wages
and bonuses superior to those paid by
other private employers of the dis
trict, and even in the case of un-
skilled labor, superior to those paid
by the corporation of Sheffield.
Influence of Mage Farmers.
The influence of wage-earners
through their unions upon the con-
dtions of municipal employment in
the United States has been complicat
ed through the presence and activity
of practical politicians. In the NIL
nicipal enterprises Investigated, ex-
cept South Norwalk and Richmond,
the eight hour day has been estab-
| lished for the past ten or fifteen years
for all employees, whereas, in the
er or have more skilled branches of
work This advantage in municipal
undertakings has been brought about
not by definite labor party, but by
the influence of wage-earners as vot-
ers upon the municipal officials.
Professor Commons Views.
The views expressed by Professor
Commons are in many respects ia
vorable to municipal ownership. He
finds, however, that the proper
method of dealing with employees is
the most difficult and critical prob
lem of municipal ownership, and he
/ favors recognition of organized la
| Dor as a safeguard against the pres
sure of outside (politicaD recon-
mendations.
/ On this subject he says:
The appointment, promotion and
dismissal of employees and the wages
to be paid offer peculiar opportunities
! for political and personal influence
/ inconsistent with efficiency. Civil
! service reform, so-called, has been
| found in its highest perfection in the
City of Chicago. but it is evident by
comparison with Il less perfect de-
vice in Syracuse that its integrity
depends on the political influences
that control the mayor and the heads
of departments. If the head of the
department is independent of politics,
as shown in Cleveland, Detroit and
South Norwalk, the civil service COM
! mission is not needed. The Chicago
system is a temporary bulwark built
| around the departments until such
| time as the chief officer himself can
also be protected from political selec-
! ton. This is the case i'm British cities
where the idea of a civil service COM
mission is unknown. But even there,
especially in the Sheffield tramways,
| appointments have been made on the
recommendation of councillors. The
| experience of Glasgow is instructive.
| Fifteen years ago the practice of hir-
ing employees on the recommends
ton Of councillors was universal in
all departments. But with the growth
of municipal ownership it has almost
disappeared.
Our Investigations have shown
that the strongest safeguard for a
manager against the pressure of out
side recommendations is the recog
milton of organized labor within his
department. Wherever we have found
a class of employees organized and
dealt with as such through their rep
resentatiyes we have found those pO-
sitions exempt from politics. This
follows from the nature of labor Or
ganiZation which cannot survive If
individuals are given preference ON
political, religious personal, or any
other grounds than the character of
the work they do. Even in the po-
litically honeycombed municipal un-
dertaking at Allegheny, the union of
electrical workers stopped the prac-
tice of paying assessments by its
members for political campaigns The
success of the civil service system in
Chicago is owing more than anything
else to the fact that organized labor
has one of the three members on each
examining board. The manager of
he Manchester tramways ascribes his
freedom from Interference by individ-
nal councillors to his recognition of
the union that holds 80 per cent of
his motormen and conductors
Politics.
In the course of his report Profess
Sor Commons said:
Il take it that the key to the
whole question of municipal or pri-
yate ownership is the question of
politics. For politics is simply the
question of getting and keeping the
right kind of men to manage and OPP
crate the municipal undertakings, or
to supervise, regulate and bargain
with the private undertakings. The
kinds of business that we are dealing
with are essentially monopolies per-
forming public service, and are
compelled to get their franchises and
all privileges of doing bushes. and all
terms and conditions of service from
the municipal authorities. And in
carrying out their contract with the
municipality they are dealing con-
tinually with municipal officials. Con-
sequently it is absurd to assume that
private ownership is non-political. 1t
is just as much a political question |
to get and keep honest or business
like officials who will drive good bar
gains with private companies on be-
half of the public and then see that
the bargains are lived up to. as it is
to get similar officials to operate |
municipal plant. We do not escape
politics by resorting to private own