The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-26
VIEWS FROM A
SOC|AL|ST|C CITY
VISITORS TELL
WITH PRIDE OF THEIR GOVERN
MENT ON THESE PRlSCIPlES.
TAKES TIME TO BRING REFORM
Bills Pending for Many Municipality
Owned Utilities, Even Including
Packing Plant-Here TO See the
Leeds Farm.


Leeds Farm.
Kansas City, Mo, Feb. 25.-Four
Milwaukee socialists-social demo-
Gratis to be exact-are travelling about
the country learning how best TO i'm
prison their fellow men. They spent
this morning at Kansas City's muni'
cilal farm as the guests of Jacob Bill
likopf. member of the board OF public
welfare, and Jesse F. Burlie, superin-
tendent of the farm. 1t approached
more nearly their ideal of a place in
which to detain and aid their erring
brothers than any other such institu-
ton they had seen.
How could any man have this beau
titul view OF nature and live out in
this inyigOrating air and still keep
alive a desire to do wrong Otto Har-
b hi, one OF the visitors, said as he
stood on a cliff and saw the hills,
trees, brooks and the Blue Valley.
It's an ideal spot. It's a place 70
teach, not to punish, and that Is what
We want. That is the socialist idea"
Hampered by the State Laws.
The general idea among those not
familiar with the facts is that Milwau-
KEGS socialist administration-the
first one in any city of more than one
hundred thousand in the world-im-
mediately would turn every thing top
sy-turvey Here is the way Martin
Mics. one of the members of the visit
ing party, disposed of that impress
sion:
1T takes time to bring about re-
forms. There are lots OF things we'd
like TO do right now but We can't bring
them about all at once. We are ap-
plying the socialist principles as rap
idly as we can. but we are hampered,
of course, by the state laws What
the people that We are working for
the people of Milwaukee and even our
opponents, active as they are, have
not even hinted that our motives were
not of the highest.
On "For the People" Platform.
The city of Milwaukee and NIL
waukee county, the richest in the
great state of Wisconsin. are run by
the social democrats now. Formerly
the republicans controlled the county
and the democrats controlled the city.
The parties worked against each other
and the progress of great city was
retarded. The social democrats pro-
posed an administration for the peo-
pie. Last spring Emil Seidel was
elected mayor and a majority of the
city council became social democrats.
Last fall ten of the sixteen county
supervisors and all the county officers
elected were social democrats Now
county and city are working together
and we are going to do things Then
there is Victor Berger, the first So
cialist ever elected to congress. to stir
things up for our people in Washing
ton. The democrats and republicans
never will run Milwaukee again"
Bills now are pending in the Wis
consin legislature to give Milwaukee
greater latitude in its own govern
ment. Bills for a municipal packing
plant, municipal ownership of public
utilities and an S-hour labor bill are
among them. The city has options on
twelve blocks-to be used as a civic
conter-and plans for a court house,
city terminals and a city hall are be-
ing made. But nothing is being done
without a thorough study of conditions
elsewhere. The administration feels
that in it the socialists are being Civ
en- trial by the public. One of its
first moves was to start work on the
farm. That is why Mr. Har-
bicht, Mr.. Mics and Frank Boness.
county supervisors and members of
the house of correction committee.
with William II. Momsen. inspector of
that institution. came to Kansas City's
farm.
But Utopia Isn't Reached Yet.
Have you solved the problem of
the unemployed with your socialist
the visitors we're
asked.
Milwaukee isn't Utopia just be-
cause socialists are in control" Mr..
Harbicht replied I'VE have many I'M
employed there, but we believe that
with an S-hour day law and with the
,ity operating the public utilities
here will be plenty OF employment
oll