The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-03-29
SUPPORT FOR ". En- $yEN COMES !.
| FROM ALL CLASSfls>qF PEOPLE
Candidate for Mayor Covelk > Detail
Needs of City Under New m
of Government.
Hits Hard at Nonresident Property
Owners and Flags Present Unjust
System of Taxation.

Tuesday will be election day. The
issues before the voters have been
clearly defined. The citizens have
been given an opportunity to know
where each candidate stands on
every important public question.
The preferential system Of voting
Is keeping the bookmakers guessing.
. The betting men usually favor the
candidates who are supported by the
special interests. They are doing SO
in this election. The most favorable
bets are being waged on the several
candidates who are being supported
by friends of the electric lighting plant
and other special interests that are
constantly seeking favor from the peo-
ple's government. But bets do not
decide elections. If we mistake not
the signs of the times, the people will
not be Influenced in their votes by the
sentiment created by the betting men.
Stock Is Rising.
w. e. McEwen's candidacy for
mayor received quite an impetus dur
ing the week. Support is coming to
him from every quarter. The work
ingmen are uniting as they never
united before in politics; the flee
thinking people Of the community re-
cognize that Mr.. McEwen stands for
a principle, and while they may not
be in thorough accord with him on
the labor question, they at least re-
spect him for the consistent position
he has always taken on public ques-
tions.
Mr.. McEwen made several speeches
during the week. At each meeting
he hit the nail squarely on the head.
He candidly, frankly and emphatical-
question overshadowed every other
issue. He maintained that every can
didate who is right on this question
will be right with the people on
every other question before them.
: ~ For Systematic OrEantnation. ~4 .:s
Mr.. McEwen Is the only candidate
for mayor who has dwelt in detail on
the needs of a systematic organiza-
ton under the commission form of
government. He has discussed in his
speeches the necessity for economy in
administration, the elimination of
waste and the stoppage Of leaks.
He holds that it is possible for a
commissioner in the very first year
of his work to save the people at
least $4,000 over the present cost of
doing the city's work. He tells some
striking stories of the waste that now
obtains. In discussing the failure of
the several departments Of the city
to work together, he told where ex-
travagance has prevailed in numer-
Gus cases.
The water and light department is
obliged to dig many trenches through
out the city to repair broken water
or gas pipes. These trenches are re-
filled, but all of the earth cannot be
restored and mound is left in the
street until the ground fully settles
There then is some earth left.
One Item Of Waste.
The public works department, in
cleaning the streets, works all around
these mounds of earth, and when citi-
zens complain that they obstruct the
highway, the officers Of the board
Of public works escape the RESPONSE
bility by declaring that it is the wa
ter and light departments business
to remove the mounds.
The street cleaners could do this
work in a few minutes, involving not
more than rs cents worth of labor.
When the water and light depart
ment decides to remove It, a team
and laborer from the hillside is
sent. and at a cost OF 50 or 81 the
mound Is finally removed. This hap
pens many, many times during the
year, and the difference in cost rep
resents large charge against the
people.
Mr.. McEwen lays particular stress
on the fact that We are not paying
close attention to the wear and tear
of city property. He recites the case
OF the Lake avenue viaduct. This
structure was not properly painted to
prevent corrosion and rust. After
several years contract was let to
paint it. When the painters were mt
to work they found the steel had
been rusted away, and the viaduct was
unsafe.
It required several thousand dol
lars to replace the steel. Mr.. McEwen
maintained that by systematic care
OF all city property another several
thousand dollars year may be saved.
" He advocates the establishment of a
q municipal repair shop, just as the big
corporations have, the duty Of which
shall be to keep city property in a
constant state Of repair.
Mr.. McEwen discusses in detail a
plan for the systematic and free COL
lectlon OF garbage. He holds that
there Is sufficient fuel in the back
yards OF Duluth to keep the incinera-
tor working night and day. The plac-
Ing OF steam boilers over the incinera-
tor and the generating of power to be
carried to the Point Of Rocks. inn
three blocks from the incinerator.
where steel drills can be placed,
would greatly reduce the cost of quar-.
Fying this rock. y.
There 1t can be crushed and sold