The Washington times., 1916-09-22

conference on social preparedness, held
under the auspices OF the 1ntercollegi-
ate Socialist Society at Sherwood For
est. near Annapolis.
BENJAMIN c. Marsh. Of New York.
executive secretary of the committee on
real preparedness. which 10 backed
morally and financially by Amos Pin
chot. was the FIRST speaker.
George strobel. Of Newark. N. j..
chairman for the evening session, In
| troduced Mr.. Marsh as an advocate
OF the single tax, low rents, Govern
Inent ownership. municipal ownership,
and a fellow-worker for economic JUS
The tenor of Mr.. Marsh's speech in
dictated that he IL n radical Of radicals,
and his Indictment Of certain phases OF
the existing order OF things even made
some OF the collegiate Socialists q bit
uneasy.
lie predicted that In less than ten
years every railroad In the United
States. 10000 miles OF them. would pass
from private ownership 70 Government
ownership, and be operated In the In
terests OF the people instead Of In the
interest OF privilege"
Advance Agent. f.,
Mr.. Marsh declared himself to be the
advance agent Of the new order or
things. and said his present miFsion Is
/ TO "create a public sentiment which
will squeeze all the water out OF the
/ railroads" before they are purchased
by the Government. The railroad
capitalists are human-they wish to get
champagne prices for rain water?" ex-
| claimed Mr.. Marsh in one of his sar-
l. castle labs at the railroad owners.
The public ownership program OF the
committee on real preparedness as out
/ lined by Mr.. Marsh carried his audience
| TO the limit OF radicalism. I'VE demand
The public ownership OF all natural re-
7 sources, OF the railroads, telegraph.
and telephone companies, and all mu-
! nicipal public utilities" explained the
| speaker. Furthermore. Mr. Marsh did
desTrability Of this program. II was
1 Inevitable. OF course, these immense
| industries must be acquired from their
present owners. And the present prob
| are not ''unloaded upon the people at
more than their value"
Padding Values.
Mr.. Marsh intimated that the capi-
/ tslists interested In the properties in
cluded In the program Of the real pre-
pa redness committee are convinced that
public ownership Is coming. and, TAX
ing time by the forelock. are busying
themselves In padding the values Of
THE frst step in this public owner
ship campaign" explained Mr.. Marsh.
lis to organize effectively the wide
spread conviction that no one. regard
| less OF title secured through fraud, cor
ruption. or the ignorance OF the people
IL entitled to be paid for, or to earn
any profits on, value which he has not
| created"
| ha d. 81 hA at aA In
| estimated at 81. 600. 600 900. and the street
| railways, telegraph and telephone sys-
TENS. privately owned water works:
| electric light and power stations, and
declared that the chief element OF
| value OF all these forms OF wealth. to-
| falling So. 200, 900. 900, In land value.
which obviously the owners did not
create"
Radical Philosophy.
The program of the single takers. II
would seem. is based upon the some
what radical philosophy that increase In
| the value OF land il due primarily to IN
crease in population. and they contend
that the private owners Of land have no
moral right to appropriate the land
values" which have been created by
increase In population rather than by
| industry and thrift on the part OF the
1
land owners.
Mr.. Marsh charged the railroad own
ers with responsibility for campaign
| to have land values included In the
| valuation schedules now being prepared
by the Federal Physical Valuation Com
mission. He said that the inclusion OF
land values in the appraisal OF the rail-
roads alone would add 81. 500. 1900 to
the price the Government. would pay for
| the properties.
This position. according to the speak
| err, has already been denied by the
| Massachusetts railroad commission, the
commission having declared In decis-
ion TsndsrSS In NJ. ssSs sssns
with the rights OF public service corpo-
/ trations have gone on the theory
| that their capitalization should be limit.
! ed 70 actual capital invested and that
rates were to be figured UPON the capt.
tall"
| Relative to the interest and dividends
that OF right belong TO the public utility
| capitalists, Mr.. Marsh also quoted the
| Massachusetts commission as having
stated that 1T is only money honestly
and with reasonable prudence invested
in a public utility, that Is entitled 70
earn a full return"
Refers to Decision.
| In contrast with this progressive
decision OF the Massachusetts, commits
sion, Mr.. Marsh referred TO the de-
cision of Hughes when. In 1914. while
associate Justice of the Supreme Court
| the court upheld the legality OF The
high rates charged by the Northern
| Pacific and other roads In the Mime
| sofa rate case. Mr.. Marsh character
lied the decision, which was written
by Mr.. Hughes, as ''one of the most
| immoral utterances of mankind" The
utterance which melted Mr.. Marsh q
ire was this: '"rhe property is held In
private ownership, and II is that prop.
erty, and not the original cost. OF
which the owner may not he deprived
without duo process of law"
Mr.. Marsh believed that this opinion
of Mr. Hughes was a blow to human
rights" 1t indicated that Mr.. Hughes
had the viewpoint OF privilege" In
cidentally Mr., Marsh told the audience
that, although he was not a Socialist
he would vote the socialist ticket were
II not for the fact that he wanted &c
son.
Ethics May Be Seen.
That Mr.. Marsh has conception OF
"ethics and justice" not yet unani
mously held by the people mey bt
seen by the following indictment OF
! certain investors:
1.-THE present exactions of the own.
ers of public utilities and natural re.
| sources, without warrant in ethics oil
| justice. must total well over a billion
| and a half dollars a year This ri.