New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-29
TURNED FROM I. r.
TO SUPPORT WILSON
Was Opposed for Cabinet by
New England Demonstration
Spurs in Boston Subway Fight.

p;s n,reuts. Adolrh and Frederika
porbitz Rrandcis. settled I'm Louisville
long before the Civil War. and there,
on November Is, 1885. no was born.
His earliest reoollcctions arc Of the
Abolition struggle and the Civil War
I'm both Of which his father was an
earnest partisan Of the Northern side;
and as a result Of those carly expert
ences he grew up with strong love OF
human freedom ard with practical sym
pa,hies with the New England spirit
Mr. Brandois studied in the schools
OF Louisville. went 20 Dresden. Saxony.
for higher course. snd finally pursued
legal studies at Harvard. where no was
graduated in 1877. The next year he
was admitted 10 the bar and entered
uron tho practice Of his profession in
Boston. where he has ever since main
tanned his Offices.
Fights Against Trusts.
His practice brought Mr.. Brandeis
into contact with numerous corpora
tons and trusts, sometimes as counsel
for them, but moro often against them.
His first corporation feht which won
him general notice was in lS96-lS9',
over the transportation system o. Bos-
ton The West End Company. which
controlled most % the trolley lines,
undertook 20 get possession o. the
newly built fremont Street subway
and NJ. Brandeis was engaged as the
counsel OF group Of citizens opposed
~ that operation.
The Eight was carried into the Leg
stature. with the result that instead
Of a ffty-yoar lease the company had
20 be content with one for twenty
years. on which it had TO pay the city
d rental Of AS per cent on he cost
Of construction. For conducting TINS
Aght and winning this substantial VIC
tory Mr.. Brandeis would accept no
fee. Further litigation followed over
the subway and the elevated roads,
which ended in the city retaining con-
troi OF rs transportation systems and
securing theref-om an adequate rev
cuue.
Next came the gas battle For years
the quality OF tha, commodity had been
Voor and the price had been high. In
1903 the various companies sought 10
consolidate and applied 20 the Legs
lature for permission 90 do so, all being
under safe control. The Public Fran
cnise League. wi'h Mr.. Brandeis as ITS
counsel, interposed with & demand THAI
the capital OF the consolidated com
pany should be fixed at certain maxi
mum, and the price II gas Of standard
quality also al certain maximum,
while the dividends OF the concern
should be limited 10 ! per cent
On this basis the returns 20 the com
puny would be less than : z per cent
On the actual value OF the plant. But
II was also shrewdly provided that for
every cents thousand feet reduction
IN the price Of gas, the dividend might
be increased ] per cent. The result
Gas that the price o. gas was soon re
duced from the maximum o. 80 cents 20
81 cents. and the dividends rose 10 d
per cent.
Fails in Railroad Battle
Mr. Brandeis's third big battle ia
New England was not 50 successful
This was his attempt, beginning Dbl
1906, 20 prevent the consolidation o.
the Boston Maine and other railroad
systems with the New York, New Haven
q Hartford. He pleaded with the Gov
ernor and Legislature and engaged ln
public debates with the Vce-presiden;
Of the New Haven road. For = time
there was q promise Of success. par
q i.nf ~ q
'a0minlsfrat az Washington 90 Deglu
sr.t against the New Haven company
Under me sherman act But n 1908
the Ma ssachu,ett, Legi laturc passed
bin lcgalUng the merger and the
Federal litigation was dropped.
AT the same time. Nr brarcels was
interesting himself deeply 90 life irsur-
aucc. as result Of the inseStlcatl Ons
IN New York a Savings Insurance
League was formed, and legislation was
secured under which woge earnels We're
enabled 20 get much cheaper insurance
and the bushes was taken ol- of The
hands of monopoists.
Following this, Mr. Brardeis fought
q successful fght for shorter hours for
women workers. and as an outcome Of
that he was called iu as q mediator on
the great clOakmakers' strike ~ New
York m the summer Of 1910. "a struggle
which involved questions OF hours and
wages. but centred chiefly on that Of
opcn CT closed shop. lie commanded
the confidence Of both sides and con-
fuhu.cd greatly 10 the settlement which
was a. last made.
Ballinger-Pinchot Inquiry.
Iu the noted Ballinger- Pinchot in
vcstiCaton Mr.. Brandeis was counsel
FOR Louis r. CLAWS. who made the
charge against Secretary Ballinger.
and in thl. case he came into national
prominence.
lie was counsel FOR the Atlantic sea
board shippers in their tight against
the demand Of the railroads for an
increase Of ire cht rates. and, IN reply
90 the insistence OF the railroads that
higher rates were necessary 20 pay
oyDenscs. he made the startling pr0pO-
s,tion that the railroads were suffer
ing from lack Of efficiency, and that
he could teach them how 20 save a
million dollars a day. The roads re
Piled that they would gladly pay hun
"a salary Of $225.00O "a year 20 ,eacn
them 10 effect such savings; TO which
his rcioindcr was that no would ac-
cent no salary. but would be glad 20
instruct them gratis, for the general
welfare. Later. however, as counsel
for the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. he admitted that in the territory
of the Central Freight Association
there was need of general readjust-
ment. and probably of some increase
Of freight rates.