The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-07-11
FOR ] \ D \ P|l|lI'
owned ! | /: ! UTILITIES 1
Wanamaker and Blankenberg
! Give Views on. City. Owned
!. ..... . 4: .2 \ rs: +. Plants. y. =.

/ ownership of pu bile utilities was ap-
proved, but in qualified terms, by
/ Mayor Blankenburg. and in unquali-
! fed terms BY John Wanamaker before
| the Federal Industrial Commission
last week in the Postoffice building.
! ~ believe that municipal owner
ship Of public utilities is a goal toward
which each city should work, said
! this Mayor. 81 s.. :. IL,
When Wanamaker was asked point
blank whether he favored public own
ership; he briefly said, Il do He
did not qualify his approval, but la
ter. he amplif1ed 1T by stating that he
had worked for the parcels post and
pcstoffice savings bank, and added
that If the government owned the
railroads we would have one cent
postage" 49, ~ s mi 49,: 5fhat !
~, Ring Controlled Gas Works :;
Mayor .Blanken bufgatook the. stand
at the opening of the days. session
and went .intoadetail .as to the work.
inss of the citycgovernment1s He. tol j
Of the 3':ring'' that once ran the Ras
works when" they were owned aud
controlled by: the city; and. said that
the experience Of that time, the poor
gas furnished, land the fact that the
plant was managed for. the benefit Of
g. political party: had. "disgusted, the
people,. of Philadelphia with. public
ownership E.-s-' n 80 .;
| -. Mr.. Wana1makers> followed. the
Mayor. to the stand, and gave his
views ON industrial conditions, labor
unions, the minimum wage scale for
women, of which he does not approve
and on other points at, great length.
Mayor Blanken burg said that many
men were out Of work. H..
T.. Fifty plants 1 looked into were
working on last years contracts. Just
how things are I don't know. But I
do not think conditions are serious.
The Philadelphia workmen make up
the finest body Of men Of the kind in
the world They won't apply for all
until they are forced to by actual
| starvation" -" 1 ~: :, -.
Touching on the trolley strike of
February, 1s10;' the Mayor told re-
sretfully OF the "rioting bloodshed,
loss of money caused:by this unneces-
= When asked, what he considered as
the missing links between capital
fand labor he REPLIED: -.
! IT would say that It Is composed 81
prejudice and Misunderstanding"
prejudice has today built up a. Chi
! nese wall between labor and capital.
Of course, workmen have pust4 as
much right to organize as does CAPT.
tall but: it is unfortunate chat many
| poor will carry chips: on their shoul-
ders. :: : ivettE} ~: ~ -:
: but weismusts reaiizea IN the final
analysis that all wealth sfs~ matte by
ia Dor proper. IT, : .icsers" ssc. =.
Better siU1aAze 81 Unionlsts.e = =:
any W IS Eiisk afk Esis = pf So xSsY
could BE- done away With
lone .way.* said Mr.. Wan,afnaker, I"
IS TO unhiteH labor Organizations from
politics: will SAY. though, that in
later years a much better class OF
men has c9me into the lead 81, the
majority Of Tabor organizations
do you think that unions haye
raised wages?" was asked. -: -. ~
Mr.. Wanamaker did not answer d.
rectlyE, but; his REPLY was interpreter
by Mr.. Weinstock to mean that, he
did not believe. unions had done the
most good in this direction. -. =
Mr. O'Connell told. Of the establish
! ment of minimum wage for women
| in some States and asked Wanamaker
if he were in favor of the establish
ment' legal minimum wage for wo-
men,. = $500 =. =. -: -, y
Mr.. Wanamaker answered that he
did not approves an arbitrary mini
mum wage for women: s'.-.. -
THE minimumt wage to my way of
thinking. would work a hardship up
on those at the BOTTOM" said Mr.. Wa
namaker.' I'm other" words the plan
would work out:zin. such a way, that
those not 'capa BILE: Of earning the mini
mum wage would not be employed at
| ALL .Lr. II
--------- -, = : --- 1900 H.