Gunnison news-champion., 1917-09-07

As yet we have not heard the re-
suit Of the Coal Barons' Pilgrimage.
or in other words the visit of the bull
doing committee sent 70 Washing
ton by our eoai operators to tell the
President where he would get off un-
less he modified the rates allowed
10 be charged for coal in this state.
Il Is safe 20 say, however. that the
prices wlll stay where the President
put them and if, rs the coal men
threaten. the government has to op-
crate the mines, that too will be
borne in patience By the people who
buy coal. Il may peeye the coal OPP
orators but some Of Us have all but
prayed for the day when some strong
hand would be laid on the coal oper-
atorz of this state and compel them TO
be drcent-or il that be impossible
as decent a they can.
Thirty years ago the writer
helped his father buy grain in Ne
braska for a time. At that period no
man had q night which a railroad was
bound 10 respect. II they felt like it,
you got can; II they did not you could
watch your competitor ship a train
load 4 day while your elevator busted
its walls trying to hold the golden
grain. II the railroad was friendly
you got rebates. service and courtesy.
II they did not like you then you
caught hadcs in four colors. Men said
at that time that the railroads owned
the country and that the conditions
could never be changed. But like many
other rash statements that was prov
en- to be an error. The Farmers AL
lance ropcd them and broke them
to halter. the Populists got bride
on and broke them to ride, then the
Republicans and Democrats, worked
up enough courage to harness and
drive them. Now they may be said to
be well broken and tractable They
still shy little at strike or some
alarming thing by the road side but
ordinarily they can be depended on,
TO pull anyone or anything at the
same rate and the same speed. What
( has been done with the railroads will
be accomplished with the other great
/ cormorants that seem all powerful.
Mark these words, this war is not all
hell. 1t forces unwilling governments
TO put in practice what they have
known was right all along. The coal
barons. the steel trust, the sugar trust,
the milling trust, the grain gamblers,
aye, eTen the money gamblers will all
be halter broke and bride wise before
this conflict is settled and besides that
the people will have learned to con-
troll big business instead of allowing
! it TO control them. The mills of the
gods grind slow but verify they grind
finer than cat hair.
/ Big business as usual is trying its
I best to evade its just share of the ex-
traordinary taxation that comes as n
result of the war. They want their
enormous profits practically exempted
while calling on men to die for the
same. Luckily the administration
does not hold their views War pro-
fits are going to be taxed. Just how
much is not as yet settled, but it will
be high enough for start and we
can take the balance after we elect
another congress. Please do not over
look the fact that we elect new one
and half senate in 1918.
II Gunnison has been much improved
in the past ten years and still shows
great activity in the way of modern
izing its utilities. but one that offers
more for the city and sure revenue
for the taxpayers is being overlooked
we think. There is opportunity for
building a large ditch and fiume from
up the Gunnison to the top of Smelter
hill, generating vast electric current
for power and heat as well as lighting,
and the farther beneficial use of the
water for irrigating after being so
used. Low priced current would pay
the cost in short time and the utility
would then be clear velvet to the CITY.
Over twenty years ago, D. j. McCanne
then manager of the light and gas
company, and the writer went into
the plan to some extent and Mr.. Nc
Came, who was a good engineer, de-
clared the plan good one There
seemed to be no way to put it over
at that time without granting a new
franchise to a private corporation and
that the News would not support ex-
cept with terms as to future pur-
chase that Mr.. McCanne said were
| prohibitive, so the idea went to sleep.
1t seems to be time about now for it
to wake up. Electric heating has been
developed to an extent that makes it
attractive to all if rates can be fixed
low enough, and hydro current is the
only system that will, furnish current
at the minimum.
On Sunday g p Spapcor ,,l c,: