The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-08-20
ISsDRxTER MARSHALL.

tAaa oRNEatiob Of utilities there, but he
WAS emphatic In his statement con-
cernsing saa bold 1t has given tho party
iStF olhffc .ownership Is well developed
IN. A Austria there being practically no
privately owned railroads, or street car
lines In that country. Vienna owns
not only the street cars. the electric
light and gas works. but many other
things, Including q great array OF
butcher shops the largest brewery aud
the most Impressive beer drinking place
tnss the city. besides some Of the most
desirable quarries in the vicinity.
These Quarries were acquired when the
famous Rlngstrasse was to be opened
In order that the government might
possess tts own supply Of stone for the
erection OF the public buildings now
ranged ON either side OF the beautiful
thoroughfare, The purpose for which
the Quarrtes were acquired was accom-
plished years ago. but they are still op-
Grated by the city in competition with
private quarrymen. 49,. p
asked whether the various munic.
ipal and. government enterprises In
Austria paid a profit for the reduction
Of taxes or not
''They are supposed to do So" he re-
piled. "hnt no one save those in high
places win. ever really know much
about 1t AnSway, the system Of public
ownership ss certain to be extended
rather than; checked In Austria.
't'Whyfs Partly because 1t Is largely
by the votes of the men employed on
the railroads.. the street car lines and
an other ppplic enterprises that the
government Is able to maintain itself.
This is SO, npportant a, factor In the
situation That public utilities would
continue tosbe operated by the author
tiles even nn,tre Eesd1t were a money
loss. Ill.,. -
''The suffrage. Is restricted in Aus
tria to such IAN extent that there are
only about 1900. 600 qualified voters in
the country. They include the con-
ductors, trainmen, engine drivers. fire.
men, etc, on the national railways:
also the station keepers and other en-
pioyees at each station, the men end
ployed on the tracks, in the shops, etc
They also include the street car men
In Vienna and other municipalities, the
men employed In the Vienna slaughter
houses. In. the meat shops. In the great
municipal brewery, and so on, besides
the thousands employed in the legiti-
mate governmental bureaus.
":Now, there may be public utility
employees here and there who have
enough personal independence to vote
| aS they choose regardless OF their en-
ployment, but they are few and far be-
tween. When found out their useful
ness IN the PUBLIC service is no longer
apparent, and trey lose their Jobs
promptly. The result is that the gov,
| eminent a1zaiWays count practically
upon a solid block Of 100000 voters. or
about one in -FOUR Of the entire elector.
ate, at the popular elections.
"As a mattsf of fact, the government
has almost az strong hold upon many
| other thousands OF workingmen voters
as 1t has upon those who are directly
In it's employ some say 100000 at
| least. A por4Iod OF them work In the
locomotive shops. the rolling mills, the
car shops ana other establishments
which furnish the rolling stock. the
rails and the, supplies to the govern
ment and mppicipal railroads.
"As there Ge pfactically no possible
customers for rails or cars. for loco
| motives, either steam or electric, or, in
fact, for any sort Of railway supplies,
| except the nafionaf and municipal gov
ernments, the managers Of the estab
lishments furnishing such things must
| stand well with the authorities or be
| wiped out, and the same Is true. though
In less degree, OF the makers Of dy.
Damos and motors and many other
things. ~
| "The best way for these manufac-
turers, who. next to the government it.
self, are the MOST extensive employers
Of labor in Austria, Ito stand well with
| the; government IL to see to 1t that
their workmen vote right and this
they certainlysdo.~ ..
1.-THE thousands OF men they can con-
troll, added to the 100000 in the various
forms Of direct government employ
ment make up q total Of q million
voters, or 0Uasthird. OF. the whole.
Their solidarity practically .insures In.
definite contEaf Ge,ty4he government by
the party wiSh wbItkS S1Sey vote. There
can certainly DO liftiS chance In Aus
trla for a change IA zgove rnmental con-
ditions 80 long ~ there is no change
with regard tosfhsr ceuntry's utilities.
There are oFsSe416rB yvs,o, bearing in
mind the paanY4Gwakying elements in
Austria, do, u0e hSHSkafe to say that the
stability of fkR throne itself
depends lsfasgyS 1 s6bb the cohesive
power Of public oWnershlD." l :;