Evening star., 1915-01-29

railway to furnish facilities for trans
portation, you must give II power: you
must not penalize II nor attempt TO
strip 1t of its just reward
Nickel Does Too Much.
The fact that in these days 'ths
nickel is called upon to do too much
was dwelt upon by Mr.. Williams and
others.
His address was followed by a dis
cussion by Mr.. Trip. who alluded TO
the coming great question of public
ownership versus private ownership
and the futility of antagoniEing the
public.
The government" Mr.. Tripp said.
''is the only agency that can deny
street railway improvements to new
communities, deny increases OF wages
to labor. not worry about taxes and
obtain capital without reference TO net
earnings"
NJ c. Brush. second vice president Of
the Boston Elevated Railway Company.
advocated the policy of educating tn"
stockholders OF public service corpora
tions method of educating tn"
public to the needs of the companies
and their difficulties. He believed this
desira BILE. he said. because of the great
number of small stockholders in all
large corporations of the present day.
and because of the fact that each
stockholder has SO many dependent upon
him.
A similar idea was brought out in
the address OF Mr.. Kingsbury. whose
company. the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company, has just made IL
possible for its employees to purchase
shares OF stock in the company on the
installment plan Mr.. kinsseury
public service corporations OF the
United States now have capital In
vested totaling the tremendous sum 81
SOS, 900, 900, 900. much of which repre-
sents the savings of the small. individ-
ual stockholder.
Time for Altruism.
This is the time for altruism." Mr.
Kingsbury said. Il recently noted
question of an American living abroad,
who inquired. What is the matter with
the genius of a great commercial race
has been applied to the natural re-
sources of a rich country. developing
most wonderful efficiency. and that in
business we lead the world. IL this is
fact. and II it is a fact that millions
of people have come to the United
States from other countries. finding
homes and happiness here. there is
nothing very much the matter with tho
United States.
But the old method of blind opposi-
tion on the part of the public service
ward the public is a mistake. 1t Is
high time that We all recognized n
common danger and a common re-
sponsibility. I am reminded of a man
presents-that his relations were all
dead OF strained Our relation W tn
the public certainly are not dead. but
they certainly are strained
1.-THE time has come to change that,
and when we consider conditions IN
Europe, compared with the United
States, when we consider that $1,000
900 people ride on the street cars every
day, and that 51.000000 people com
municate with each other on the tele-
phone each day, 1 think we, may safely
say that 1t has been the public service
corporations who have made of this
country one community.
Railroads" Senator Weeks said. I'm
terstate railroads. at least. are natural
monopolies, and do not anticipate that
there will ever be any change. though
there may be relaxation in our policy
of controlling their operations. but the
hard and fixed rules of governmental
control are inimical to private and in
dividual enterprise. SO that while the
Interstate commerce commission has
undoubtedly been Of value in many re-
spects the pressure for additional legfs-
lative restrictions. the necessary inelas-
character of the law itself which gov
erns its action all have conduced to
bring our railroad systems to the verge
Of collapse.
The future must be protected by the
insistence of business men that legis-
lation shall be in the real interests OF
the country's affairs and not based on
the theoretical whims or desires OF
those who have not had practical eI-
perience."
Among the other speakers were ",
Carl Ely of Buffalo, E. @. Connette OF
Buffalo. Wilbur c. Fisk OF New York
city. ]. D. Mortimer of New York ana
J. II. Pardee of New York.
Banquet Tonight.
The conference will close tonight
with a great banquet at the New
Willard Hotel. presided over by &.
Loomis Allen.
Addresses will be delivered by c. c.
Pierce. Representative Swager Sher-
ley. Representative Montague and c.
L. Henry. At the dinner announcement
will be made of the winner of the An
thony n. Brady medal, offered in March.
1914, by the American Museum of Safe
ty to the electric railway which shall
do the most during each year to pre-
serve the life and health Of passengers