The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-01-30
Live Issues in Seattle
AND
Sagalush Philosophy
ny EDWIN >. BROWN,
sfa FIRST Ave.

q Mr.. A. v. Bouliion contends that
while municipal UNDERTAKINGS OF a
Commercial nature may benefit frac-
.ttous OF community for n limited
lime and some members OF the COM
munity all OF the time, yet Ynunlci-
Pal acts along such policy In effect
force compulsory partnership In
such undertakings on the part Of
parsons or elements in no way b~ne-
ueed and possibly injured thereby
Let me anaiyze this paragraph
What 10 the nature OF any and every
commercial enterprise privately
owned. Today all commercial en-
terprise IL based on the wage-siav-
>qry Of the producers and exploitation
of the masses for the benefit OF n
few owners. This must he true 81
business Is not business. and y~hen
business IL business. for profit. the
few private owners OF commercial
: enterpriss are compelled 90 exploit
the surplus value from labor. This
Dpxp1cited product of labor now be-
*eomes the property OF the exploiting
I'm order to perpetuate itself as the
ruling class owner Of commercial
enterprise.
when commerce Is spoken OF un =
! der modern machine production we
must remember that there Is no bene-
fit resulting from commercial enter
prise to the producing class. because
the worker sells his or her Ia Dor
power for wages. which IL the cost
of living fminusl. and all this prod .
net Of labor. except what his wages
will buy back. goes upon the ma rkef
&s commerce. In other words the
difference between what labor Gre
ates and what labor gets IL sur
plus value. possessed by the gam
~ 49, 4.
The class who own the instiiu-
ftoDs Of wealth production must also
control our institutions Of govern
ruent so as to Iegalize their power
Of exploitation. Thus we have a
spell Of government control. IN the
interest Of those who own and con
troll the governments heads they
win and tails we lose proposition.
WHO WOULD LosEs
BY municipaiIzstion or collective
ownership the expIoiter would lose
the power 10 rob the people. while
the whole people would gain who
loses by SeattIes ownership Of rs
water plant except ths exploifersl
Our water plant is not a private
commercial enterprise. and what pa r.
ficuiar class Of persons are injured
And are we not all bensfitei by this
asset. Mr.. Bouilion? And this water
system, of ours In Seattle IL com
pulsory partnership. Mr. Boulllon.
Our CITY LIGHT AND POWER.
I wish here 10 ask few questions
Of Mr.. Bouiiion. what fraction Of
our community has been benefited
BY our city light and power7
Does IL not benefit our entire peo-
pier
What fraction Of our people has
been injured by our city light and
power and water being municipal
ized7
There II only one class Of persons
who could possibly be injured by the
peoples public service Institution
producing and furnishing light. pow
er and water at cost Of production
and that Ia the class who do not
want us 10 live without paying trib-
ute 10 them. The retainers OF this
exploiting class are dep ~,dents. and
Of course. they see. think. talk and
live In the material Interest OF the
sxpioiters who are their masters and
our oppressors, not because they
want to be. but because under the
System Of profit production the cap
ftaJist owners are held fast If CAPT.
: tai operates, Its activity means the
exploitation Of the people, II Il lies
dormant and Inactive. II dlsslpatei
and decays.
In modern hocisl production TO-DAY
private ow Bcrship II Inc 1mpatibif
with the public good and genera
welfare. and as the tide Of collective
ownership rises ever higher and
higher there VIII always appear some
one who would blindly endeavOr 10
force the tide back until they be-
come engulfed and lost sight NJ IN
the great sea Of advancing eiviliza'
fion. Private rights must yield q
the public welfare"
EDWIN J. BROWN