Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-03
cOLBY-OSBORNE
=
i DEBATE AGAIN
80
-
ST|RS MOOSERS
AHHN HHH HIN In
AAAN y hHNtHHH n Y
A n a
OEHHAu
Socialistic Principals Brought
Into Argument-lssue In
! definitely Postponed.

r
Former State senator Everett Colby
and Edmund B. Osborne elashed
again at the meeting of the Progress
sive County Committee in Progress
sixe headquarters. Halsey street, last
night. The question at issue was the
adoption of a resolution introduced
by Mr.. Osborne several months ago
providing that the local county conf
mittee go on record as favortng the
government ownership of railroads,
telegraphs and telephones. The reso-
luton was defended by MIR. Osborne
and opposed by Mr.. Colby.
Argument on the matter was hrst
held at the May meeting of the coun-
" committee. The question came up
again last night. -Four hours were
consumed in argument. Then MI
Osborne demanded that the question
be settled. Mr.. Colby moved that
further discussion of the matter be
indefinitely postponed. Ills motion
was carried.
Mr.. Osborne said that tabling the
resolution would be cowardly. lie
asked that "above all things" the mo-
ton offered by Mr.. Colby enoed the
matter in much the same manner as
il the resolution had been tabled.
Many at the meeting last night ana
the previous ones felt that the leader
snip of the party hinged on the out
come of the debate on Mr.. osborne
resolution. If the resolution went
through many asserted it would mean
that Osborne had succeeded Colby as
the party head. Mr.. Colby routing
of the resolution. however. makes GER
tain his leadership, many said;
Socialism Is Charged.
THE county committeeman who up
held the resolution last night colored
their remarks for the most part with
socialistic ideas. A few Of the speak
ers even went into the principal
doctrines of the Socialist party. For
1 time the question at issue was lost
sight of While speakers told of their
willingness to divide all with their
fellow men.
Mir. Colby interpreted Mr.. Os-
hornes own remarks as sociah$tic
and Mr.. Osborne repeated what ne
said in an attempt To- satisfy MI.
Colby that his remarks we're not
along the lines of Socialism. The
former Senator then declared that
when Mr.. Osborne agreed 10 turn
over his plant to she operators and
employees, he would believe he was
sincere. in that he said about "barunS
and slave drivers" The matter ended
with a discussion on conservatism
and radicalism.
5. Mr.. Osborne reviewed the facts he
had told at last months meeting. lie
declared that government ownership
Of public utilities would wipe out the
foot of all political evil.
Mr.. Colby said, however. that the
country was not yet ready to take
over the control of public utilities.
lie asserted it should be proven tina
regulation has failed before this step
be taken.
There were seven speakers for the
resolution and five unfolding Mr..
colby's opposition to it.
The debate was begun by H. King
Stanley. who at the last meeting had
started, but owing to the lateness of
the hour agreed to a postponement.
= Mr.. Stanley, in opening his speech,
referred to the carrying out of
three propositions scheduled by |
Lewis in the Fifty |
sixth Congress. namely, government |
ownership of railroads, postal banks I
and parcel post. II took fifteen years |
Cor Congress to adopt these ideas. /
The most insidious argument against /
reform was that which says: 'iWe 1
are not ready for that" rs it not I
now time for reforms?' asked the I
speaker. Are We not ready at once (
to reduce the cost of our foods? o.
To the railroads, and only 10 the .
Mr.. Stanley declared, were !
due the ills of the body polite. the 1
high price of food. the crowded and /
cities, political corruption |
and, last but not least, the peril to /,
free government. Only p per cent. !
of the tillable land of the country Is
under cultivation. The speaker de- !
clared his personal observation of
idle or abandoned farms right here
in New Jersey"
Why was farming Improbable ?
The great meat packers and shippers
of other foods had their own cars or
have a controlling interest in the
railroads, and small farmers cannot
ship their stuff Milk is fed to the
pigs and fruit and vegetables rot on
the ground. while prices for them in
the cities climb.
Millions for knowledge.
There are tremendous savings re-
sulting from cold storage, improved
packing, machinery. improved load
ing and traction facilities and. last
but not least, scientific agriculture"
he said.
The government spends millions of
dollars every year in spreading agri-
cultural knowledge. Almost every
State has its agricultural college
and a vastly powerful and instruc-
tive department of free distribution
of Information and even of seeds and
plants are maintained. An of these
things should decrease prices and
would do so if the government
owned the railways. The railroads
would then go, as the postoffice does
now. to every district, instead OF
having eight or ten uselessly COM
peting roads in one section and none