The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-10-18
SHOULD BEC|NF|GHT
:. NOW FOR CITY LINE
llsgssga
Fa, s.. Gecision For City in
Distrlo. s; Not Solve
Tract1o. ss
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP I.
PEOPLES SALVATION
Local Company Will Attempt to
Forestall Issue by Use of News
paper Advertising Space.

The Duluth Street Railway COM
pany is having the fight of it's life be-
fore Judge Cant in district court. Its
franchise is in jeopardy. 1t would
seem that everything hinges on
whether or not the company built one
mile Of track. as it was required to
do. thirty-one years ago.
It will make little difference to the
people how the suit is determined. So
long as there is a private company
and greedy stockholders to satisfy
the people will get the worst Of 1t.
OF course it would be fine to have the
courts declare that the company has
lost it's franchise right to occupy the
streets of the city, and If such a de-
cision should be handed down the
city would be in a position to nego-
tiate a more favorable contract with
the company. but that would not set
tie the question.
Duluth Can Do 1t.
There will always be a street rail-
private company owns and operates
the lines. Municipal ownership is the
thing. Other cities, like San Fran
cisco and Toronto, are trying it with
remarkable success. Duluth can do
likewise for this is peculiarly a street
railway city.
Now is the best time we know of to
talk municipal ownership. Manager
Warren of the local company said in
his testimony in district court this
week that it was the intention of the
company to charge double fare to
the steel plant Possibly when it runs
to Fond du Lac it will want three
fares. Who knows what it will or
will not do? If the city owned the
traction lines or even a stub line to
New Duluth and Fond -du Lac to be-
gin with, it would surprise us to learn
how cheaply we could carry passen-
gers.
No Useless Dividends.
There would be no dividends to
pay; no interest on watered stock and
no high salaries to officers who do
nothing except endorse their pay
checks. The Labor World started
something when we began to talk mu-
nicipal ownership of the street rail-
way lines. We expect to remain in
the fight until the city owns every
mile of street railway in Duluth. We
will keep at it during this agitating
period. and sooner or later organiza-
tions Of citizens will be formed to as
sist in the work.
The Street Railway company Off
cials evidently foresee the effect of
The Labor Worlds demand for NUM-
cipal ownership. They are attempting
to forestall a movement in this direc-
ton by the usual artful tactics of pub
lie service corporations From now
on the local company expects to use
newspaper advertising space literally.
All of the papers will be fed with paid
copy, that is all the newspapers that
are good
Will Not Use the Labor World.
The Labor Worlds advertising
space will not be used, not because the
space does not have merit or adver-
tising worth, but this papers editorial
policy does not suit Herbert Warren
or the Street Railway company. An
other public service company used the
same tactics here not long ago, and
it lost. The same fate ultimately
awaits the Duluth Street Railway
company.
Just put this down in your note
book and preserve it: The Duluth
Street Railway company from now on
will give it's advertising patronage to
such Duluth papers whose editorial
policies are acceptable to the officials
of the traction company. The papers
= that are for the people and against
private ownership of public utilities
will not be patronized."
The question is not what the Du-
luth Street Railway company's policy
it to be, but what will the people do
about it. The Labor World is the
peoples paper. Let us have your sup
port and we will continue to fight
your battles. But with your financial
support or not we will remain in the
fight, only it will be much easier II
we have your backing in a manner
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