The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-05-06
SPECIAL INTERESTS
CONTROL CONGRESS?
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least by a leasing system under direct
government control and with ade-
quate compensation to the people)
the people would have a vast source
Of public income, and cities, states
and the nation would have a splendid
preventive Of extortion by coal trusts,
electric lighting and power combina-
lions, gas interests and manufacturing
combines"
Make Rich Richer.
But the senate would give that
away to the privileged financial inter-
ests, to make them richer and more
powerful and to make the people
poorer and less powerful.
With those two instances az a.
starter to show the prevailing quality
OF both the senate and house in their
attitude Of favor toward privilege and
special interests as against the public
rights, consider the imminent dancer
that there is in these further inioui-
tous measures and enormous grabs
at wealth and power which cirnmit-
tees, or other groups, Of the senate
and house are threatening to put
across:
The public lands committee of the
senate has taken a fairly good land
Teasing bill that passed the house and
made 1t about as bad bill as any
pubic plunderer would want. The
committee struck out all provision az
TO the proper leasing or the proper
other development of coal lands, leav-
ing coal land monopolies secure from
competition or free to grab some
more under old imperfect laws when
the public had Its back turned. As
TO oil lands it put in lot of iokers
In the shape Of references. to old for
gotten statutes and practically waived
all right Of the public to the lawfully
remaining oil lands Of the public do
main-confirming old grants to pn-
vate grabbers that would otherwise
| be illegal.
Just to show that it knew what It
was doing, this same public lands
committee Of the senate recon-
mended the passage of a bill. intro
ouced by the oh hartman of the COM
mlttee, Senator Myers Of Montana,
which II 1t IL enacted will grant to a
private corporation, the Republic
Coal company, a subsidiary to the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. pau1
halfway company, more than 2,00O
| acres OF coal land in the state of
Montana, but belonging to all the peo-
PIE OF the United States. which Is
officially estimated to contain ten
million tons Of high grade coal, worth
about thirty million dollars. The bil]
would give it all away for about
That coal grab has been beaten
twice-in two congresses. But aee
the persistency with which the plum
oerers return to the attack. They
think they know this congress-.
me Water Power on Public Lands
OIL has also been changed in tho aan.
ate public lands COMMITTEES from III.
mildly respectable bill that the house
passed into g. bill that IL almost as
pad as the Shields bill, the latter re-.
1erring only to the water power ri
navigab1e rivers.
A fake Rural Credits bill has heen
approved by the senate committee or
banks and banking, while the house
committee on banks ana bankIne no.
maze up It's mind also to approve It.
altnoueh the house committee has moi
YET made it's reports. This miscon.
celved rural credits legislation is al
In the interest Of bankers and invest.
ors and all against the farmers and
otners who need credit. It puts or
the back Of labor another enormoui
bankers trust and an enormously ex.
pens1ve governmental machinery t
help keep a borrower from settin,
money at reasonable interest. /
stands IA tho Ny Of really; good -rpra|
credits legtsla&fon.. ri :s. 4. 800
. losag thiS Same line. the house q