Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-16
pROBLENS OF CIVIC LIFE
Discussed at First Church Broth.
erhood Dinner Friday Night.
Monopoly Of Public Necessitfes should
Result in Government Regulation,
Says Chairman Redmond Of
Public Service Commission.

~ they are, were the subjects discussed
Friday night at the First Church Brother
hood dinner John w. Redmond of New
port. chairman OF Tho Vermont state
public service commission. was the pY1n-
cipal speaker. He spoke in part as fol-
lows:
II don't need to allude to the fact that
the government Of the United States was
at the first an experiment OF a kidd unique
il. his tory, nor dol need to trace the steps
by which our great national problems
have been solved by the statesmen that
have gone before us. That the last great
problems, those OF slavery and States
rights have been settled for all time is
sufficiently proved by the fact that the
southern States now declare that they
are going to give us president
The thing that want to impress upon
you is. that the problems of to-day are
not problems Of statesmanship nor OF
politics. Tho Issues OF the present time
are economic. pure and simple They IN.
volye the creation and distribution OF
wealth. They cluster about such "oruS
MS labor. capital and strikes. And they
call for as much thought and consloerN
ton as did those which perpeNeo ou'
fathers
Ono OF these problems OF our Gay -
summed UP in the word monopoly.
monopoly Is business when eNc'uoes
competition. II Is an invidious tefm' pu.
] believe the time Is coming when IL Wi.
not be invidious. when II viii NOT De saio
that the panacea for all human Ills ID
competition
There are two kinds OF monopo'y-
natural and artificial The postofnce Oh
patent right is a monopoly createo oS
law. and a trust Ike tho steel or the
TOBACCO trust is another form OF ar'inciai
monopoly.
put there Is a kind Of business that Is
n monopoly by nature II you try 10 heai
with businesses of this KIND on the sup
position that they are not natural
monopolies you will make the same ms
take as to assume that natural user
is an artificial one. Natural monopoiies
include all public service businesses
Mr.. Redmond showed the working out
Of a. natural monopoly by the illustration
of a toll bridge across the Connecticut
river Excessive tolls being charged. ana
going intD the pockets Of the share
holders, a rival bridge Is built at cost
Of $4,000. Competition then results in war.
outcome
ton OF one enterprise by the other and
competition again gives place to monopoly
Tho only cure for the misuse Of a
natural monopoly. said the speaker IL
government regulation.
There can be no competition he con
tin,,ed between two public service con
Germs which are serving the same com
munity with the same kind OF service
Ia q ,
necessity. there must he government
regulation. The time is coming when Their
can't be strike in the coal mines. 70
coal is a. public necessity"
Taking up the railroads. Mr.. Redmond
pointed out the difficulties they NEE
with, being forced to buy steel from
trust coal from another trust, labor from
trust--called union and then beinj
forced to listen to the public clamor AM
still pay dividends to the stockholders.
''CIentlemen," he declared, "a strike OF
railroad Is disgrace to civilization
It's a thing we wont stand forever. LIE
the employees be well paid-they don
get cent too much. Let them get pen
eions for injury. But they have no RICH
to tie up the service, for they are a
much in the service of the United State
more SO.
There should be tribunal to reguiat
our trusts. The mere existence OF suo
d force is enough. 1t doesn't matter hoy
often 1t haS to be used. In school We ha
a ruler, up In the corner, and the mer
presence Of that object was an inf1uenc
unspeakabe to keep us in obedience.
HOW CRIMINALS ESCAPE.
Levi p. Smith, who presided at tn
dinner. introduced States A;torne
Henry q. Shaw Of this city as an exper
competent to talk on Vermont. ANY
one" said Mr.. Smith. can speak upo
the Sandwich islands
We have had q great deal OF erin
here during the past few years." sa,
Mr. Shaw. Murders. hold-ups. larconie
forRsr1es and minor crimes have bee
rampant The offenders have usual
had astute defence. The procedure hs
commonly been fo- the respondent I
wAivc examination. because OF the fa'
that the State had a strong case. an
that by this method he could make wa
with the States witnesscs before II
case finally came before county cour
Another difficulty was found In II
witnesses refused to answer the que
tons Following a conference Of dlstri
attorneys two years ago the last Legt
lature passed an act to stop this. al
now the mGei3trates have power to p
tho witness under BAIL or, lacking ba
i,e can DO put In tail. Better results ha
followed this act. We have also widen
tine powers of inquest, and witness
can he supoenacd and sent up for CO
tempt Of court or perjury"
Mr.. Shaw termed the power OF the La
islature TO commute the sentence Of
person convicted for murder as 1.-The
FALL of judicial decislon." and Mr.. Re
mond agreed with the definition.
urged the classification Of criminals. at
ting that In our methods Of recording I
measurements OF offenders we are
years behind the times, Exceptions
court procedure should be permitted
State, said he, as well as the respondc
SOCIAL SURVEY SUGGESTED.
We are in danger OF spelling our CT
dren and coddling our criminals"
marked Mr., smith, at the close of
Shaw's address. The next speaker v
tho Rev. II. &, Guthrie, who spoke in
interest Of a social survey OF BurliI
ton and Winooski.
There Il a deep desire for impro
Inent In all walks OF life In this cit
said he. and the purpose of such 3
vey Is to take hold OF this aroused int
est and give II plan and consecut
uro1ram knOWlcdCp of conditions