Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-12
EDISON IS AGAINST
GOVT OPERATION
Favors Control of Utilities, but
Says Governments Function
Is Supervision.

Thomas A. Edison does not favor OPP
Grafton of public utilities by the Unit
| ed States government In fact. 10 Is
opposed to having the postoffiee and
/ the parcel post operated BY the
! Washington authorities In an inter
view given Saturday at West Orange
| to newspapermen, Mr.. Edison made
plain his belief that the only function
| OF the government is supervision. lie
would have the postoffices, telegraphs'
| telephones and other utilities owned
by Uncle Sam; in fact he did not nave
any limitations for government own
ership-but government operation OF
business enterprises he considered
wrong.
II don't care how much the govern
ment owns. but bids should be solic-
tied from business concerns and the
government should let the enterprises
to the firm which will offer the lowest
prices for the service to the pubic,
then exact plenty of security. The
government should simply see to 1t
that all have free show. with none
of US stepping on the other fellows
toes In fact. that's my idea of a gov
ernment-anybody in the United
States to do as they please. but don't
tread on the other fellow"
Mr.. Edison also discussed the imam
cial legislation and said he was in the
same frame of mind as the two imam
ciers who disagreed on the outcome or
the new measure. "One IelloW says
we will have the greatest expansion
of money possible. and the other fell
low SAYS we will have the opposite
condition. You don't get that. do
you" said the wizard, laughing
heartily at the apparently incongru-
Gus statement.
"Oh, yes. do answered the news
paperman addressed.
But that's Just it," continued Mr..
Edison. eff these bankers disagree
on what will be accomplished by the
administration measures, how are we
going to figure 1t out? Give the new
legislation a chance; that's the only
thing to do" AS to Mexico, Mr. Edi-
son is still of the opinion that in
PREVENTION by this country is not de-
slrable.
That's a race war down there"
said Mr.. Edison, land one result OF
the struggle will be that never again
will a few families rule the entire
country of Mexico"
Mr.. Edison discussed educational
plans, again remarking the lack of a |
suitable system of education Too
much effort is put toward drilling |
and other pupils with Ian |
guage methods, while he declared IL |
of the things taught would |
bring better and quicker results. He |
told how at a family gathering the |
other night the little group was all
tangled up with wordy descriptions
OF musical prob ems, and finally he |
drew a plan Of the keyboard and had |
the different ones utilize the drawing |
and familiar language of the key |
alphabet to carry on the discussion, |
with the result that the folk speedily |
each other. and every |
was instantly explained |
He said the japanese |
are fast copying our customs. dress
and even the walk of Americans by |
use of moving pictures.
'Your foreigner would have to
translate language terms before he
could read dissertations Of our meth
DDS. He sees with his eye instantly
the lesson taught by the pictures"
said Mr.. Edison
Mr.. Edison does not feel that the |
Of Henry Ford who is to |
distribute 100000 among his en-
ployees. will result in any revolution |
in Industrial ond'tions although he
sees the start OF a new era. Mr.. Edi- |
son said the American workman tries |
to do as little as he can and get as |
much money as possible for his labor. |
He see the millennium for the worker |
in the Improvement of automatic ma |
which will allow machines to |
do the work, while employees will |
simply supervise. Mr.. Edison is fin
ishing patented device to have one
e'rl control the output of two score
men.
what Mr.. Ford did is possible to |
all manufacturers through use of per- |
fected automatic machinery" sad Mr. |
Edison. "rrhis success is open to any |
body who will follow his high methods |
OF efficiency and his use of improved !
machinery. Ford is highly skilled |
machin'st. not a philanthropist. Men |
want the money, not philanthropy. In |
fact, they resent philanthropy They |
want to make big money and spend it |
themselves. But. unfortunately, the |
men do not see that If they were more
efficient their employers could afford |
to give them more wages. But they |
won't realize the truth of this state |
ment for 800 years They are hope |
less"
Mr. Ford has. been making too much |
money. in Mr.. Edisons opinion, and
after distributing his profits to the
public by reducing the price of his
cars nine months ago, he decided to
give the workmen slice of his pros
perity. If profits go down hill wage
reductions will follow at the Ford
plant, instead Of So a day for every
body, including the boy who sweeps
the office" However, Mr.. Edison says
there is no limit to the returns upon
improved machinery, and he said the
American business world can invest
s25, 600, 900, 900 in labor-saving devices
and reap big returns
Mr.. Ford was Mr.. Edison's Detroit
man some fifteen or twenty years
ago.
Dac4or AcSicfiu0 at Mass