The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-24
WANAMAKER FAVOUS
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
Says II Government Ran N.
Railroads We Would Have
One Cent Postage.
GIVES HIS VIEWS on l\Eon
Too Much Prejudice and Ton
Little Responsibility on
Part Of Unions.

PHiLApELpHIA, June % Public .ov,,.
ship of public utilities was approved b..
in qualified terms. by MAYOR Rl,pl,
burg, and In unqualified terms nv Io,.
Wanamaker before the Federal Indus,,,,i
Commission hearing here to-day.
When Mr. Wanamaker was asked min,
blank whether he favored public ovns..
ship he said briefly. IL do" lie d,d ~,
qualify his approval. but later he amnr.
fled IL by stating that he had worred %,
the parcel post and postal savings bs,,
and added that II the Government our.d
the railroads I'VE would have ono o.r,
postage"
When Mr.. wanamaker was asked v,,,
he believed to be tho real cause OF IA.
present industrial unrest he said II v,,
Ignorance and suspicion on the part Of
the workers" he added that closer con.
tact might help to solve the problem
Mayor Blankenburs went into detau A,
TO the workings OF the city governm.n,
lie told OF the ring that once ran IN.
gas works WREN they were owned ami
controlled by the city and said that tia
experience OF that time. the poor "a,
furnished and the fact that the plant
".
cal party had disguised the people Of
Philadelphia with public ownership"
Touching on the trolley strike Of Feb.
ruary, 1910 the Mayor told regretfully
Of the "rioting. bloodshed and loss q.
money caused by this unnecessary strike
Asked by Mr.. Weinstock whether he dld
not believe In public ownership as an OBJ.
teCtive point for every city TO work TO.
ward the Mayor said:
Yes and no. | believe In public
ownership as goal, but--how far OFT
that IN the question. l do not think Il
should be reached until we have achieved
more fully awakened ana aroused civic
spirit"
Mr. wanamaker was recalled to tho
stand and Mr.. weinstock explained again
the function of the commission.
Congress has called upon us n solve
not only the municipal but the State and
national problem in trying to find out
Just what is tho missing link between
labor and capital. In your opinion vhl,
Is this missing link
81 would say that II IL composed ~
prejudice and misunderstanding" he e.
piled. Prejudice has to-day built up a
Chinese wall between labor aud capital
or course worlkmen have just as mucl
right to organize As does capital. but u =
unfortunate that many poor men carry
chips on their shoulders. But We must
realize in the final analysis that all wealth
is made by labor proper"
Mr. Wanamaker was asked II he knew
any way I'm which this prejudice could h.
done away with.
zone way" said Mr. Wanamalc =. - I,
unhitch labor organizations from politics.
"Do you know of any better wt' .
/ which to obtain industrial peace tina. nv
trade agreements?' asked MI VEINS. 20N
TRADE agreements have this weaku, ..'
answered Mr.. Wanamaker "ThD 'm-
ployer who enters into the aGrecmer' =
saddled with n great responsibility. wa.s
labor has no such responsibility. ''
say that in later years a much better las
OF men has come into the lead Of tho mac
jorty of labor organizations
The attention OF Mr.. Wanamakcr vas
called to the fact that some organization.
among them the typographical union
and the railroad mems union. have never
been known 20 act In bad faith with an
employer after trade agreement
Mr. Wanamaker said that the fault VITA
tegrity as some of its other features VI.
mentioned the way In which the number
OF apprentices is limited In some trades
Mr. Wanamaker said he did not sp-
prove an arbitrary minimum wage fo'
women.
THE minimum wage. 10 nv wsy II
thinking, would work hardship upon
those at the bottom" he said. In other
words, the plan would work out in such
way that those not capable of earning
the minimum wage would not he employed
at ALL"