The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-07
BUSTING THE TRUSTS
And Government Ownership of Utilities
Touched Upon by John w. Slayton.

Trust Busters" was the topic chosen
by John w. Slayton OF Newcastle, Pa.
recently candidate on the Socialist
ticket for governor Of Pennsylvania, who
gave the fourth OF a series of lectures
held this season under the auspices of
tho Barre Socialist local More than
two hundred and seventy-fve people at
tended the lecture, which was held in
the Uniyersalist church, and listened
attentively TO the address OF two hours
duration. Mr.. Slayton described the
danger of system which permits the
evolutionary growth of business through
the stages of partnership, company, cor
poration and trust, and he devoted much
Of his time to arguments in favor Of
his contention for government owner
ship of public utilities.
Following recitation entitled "Land-
lord and Tenant by John z. Callaghan,
the speaker was introduced by Alex.
Ritchie. In opening his remarks, Mr..
Slayton said that he who reads is on
the road to discovery. He told of re-
searches conducted with view to learn
ing the true status of the constitution
OF the United States and said that his
observations had led him to believe that
this basic statement of principles is
class document To aid in spreading
this contention, the speaker caused to
be distributed among his listeners
small booklet purporting to assail the
constitution and reveal it's true nature.
The pamphlet found ready sale in the
audience at ten cents per copy. While
touching on this topic, Mr.. Slayton re-
ferred to the historic Boston tea party
and reiterated the statement of another
speaker in the same lecture course that
the tax. against which the party was
supposed TO be a protest, had been re-
moved two years previous by the British
government.
Proceeding TO the discussion of social
ownership, he mentioned for an example
the railroad locomotive and said that a
share in tha. machine was properly
owned by every person who contributed
to its construction. The miner who took
the ore from the ground. the iron and
steel worker the locomotive builder, the
farmer who furnished the food upon
which the workers subsisted and the
woman who prepared the food are all
part owners Of the machine. The speak
er said that the workmen are always
competing for wor' and yet do not come
in for q share Of their production aft
er getting the much sought employment.
The human life is not meant merely
for tell. he said Work j. means
unto an end, but not an end by any
means. The publicly owned schools are
places wlere brains are fed; and by the
same token why is il not Just that the
mediums through which the body il
fed be publicly owned?
During the latter part of his speech,
Mr. Slayton made the point that the
men who wish to break up the great in
dustriai combinations have adopted the
wrong policy. He accused some OF the
so-called 4trust-bustefs' OF being in
league with the trusts themselves and
said that every time the trusts were at
tackled. prices took a soar and the cost
of living went correspondinglv higher
He had no quarrel with the trust mag.
mates Individually or personally, bnt
was rather disposed TO blame the mass
u workingmen who actually sanction
these conditions by the wrong exercise |
Of their ballots, The moral issue at
stake must be subjected to a close scrut- !
my and You cannot measure a principle |
Dy the men who support it,
The methods of Wickersham. Knox /
Bryan, Roosevelt and other trust bust
,rs' are far fran being the right meth /
,ds, he said The only solution Of the |
problem lies in the Willingness of the
people 70 take possession Of the trusts. |
According to the speaker. to-day one
.hree- hundredth Of Of the neople own
'cveHty-nine ner cent. OF the wealth. /
mission is to put the wealth |
II the nation in the hands Of those
Who produce it.
The last lecture Of the course viii be
,iven by Lena Morrow Lewis next Tues
lay evening.