The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-07-21
What Other Papers Say.


WHEN A CORPORATION CAME TO
TIME.
Bloomington 1n.) Searchlight:-
Duluth has just whipped a street car
company into line, but it didn't do it
by methods of moral suasion. Moral
suasion doesn't have very moving ef-
feet on corporation. Indeed, one
Duluth wanted an extension of the
street car. service. The situation was
about the same as if an enterprising
City Council should ask the B. & N.
to extend it's lines to give service to
the people Of Stevensonville. The B.
& N. probably would argue that such
an extension of its lines would not be
profitable. and would therefore refuse.
That is what the Duluth line did. 1t
said the extension wouldn't pay, and
that ended the matter. for a time, with
the street car company. 1t was run
ming its lines for profit, not for the
convenience of the people.
But the people of Duluth had the
idea that public utility such as the
street car lines should be run for the
convenience and service Of the peo-
pie: They insisted again and again
that the lines be extended. The street
car company coolly refused. Corpora
tions are not usually responsive to
public sentiment, and they thought
they held the whip hand. AS often
he t14Sr 60 I'D % g.,
sideration that the people have GER
tain powers which they may exercise
when corporation begins to get con-
temptuous and contumacious.
The people Of the city were FORUM
ate in having mayor and city COM
mission alive to the interests of the
people. They acted promptly, and,
what is much better, they acted firm
ly. They took all the necessary steps
for condemnation proceedings to take
over the street car lines and operate
them in the interest of the people,
Then the street car company became
responsive to public sentiment-when
backed with a club. It announced a
willingness to extend it's lines to the
points desired, and to make such ar
rangements regarding service and
transfers as were satisfactory to the
people of the city.
Yes, corporation operating a pub
lie utility will show due regard for the
wishes of the people-when those
wishes are backed by force.
CHANGES AFTER THE WAR.
The Tailor (Chicago): That there
will be some changes in the conditions
of the working class after the war no
one doubts, but what the changes are
going to be no one is wise enough to
foresee.
We are told that the world will be
demOcratfzed; that the autonomy of
the small nations will be assuered
against the more numerical and pow
erful ones; permitting them to work
out their own salvation in their own
simple way.
The great nations. Of Europe have
been governing themselves, in their
own way, for hundreds of years, yet
the mass of the people lived In power
ty. The cause of poverty is landlord
| poverty cannot be abolished; high
prices of foodstuff cannt be prevented
high rents cannot be lowered; labor
cannot employ itself-on the ma
tural opportunity created for the use
of man. The term idle rich" can
truthfully be applied to the land spec
ulator All a land Spectator need
do, to become rich is to get hold of a
piece Of land in any growing city. The
| land does not need to be good to grow
potatoes or other vegetables, just a
hole in the ground, fit only to be used
as dumping ground, yet as the pop.
u1ation increases the value of the hole
in the ground is rapidly growing. II
some enterprising man builds a house
on each side of the hole in the ground
it's value is enhanced, maybe, two or
three hundred dollars, up to thou
sands, as the case may be.
If any reformation is going to take
place after the war, to be lasting, ii
should start with abolishing land spec
ulation. This can be done by assess
| ing land according to it's value, and
taking that value for public purposes
All improvements should be exempt
from taxation.
The next thing that should be done
is for government to take over any.
thing that is in themselves a mon
opoly. Railroads, telegraph and tele'
phones. This little start would lead
to the control of other things in due
time. Such as the manufacture OF
shoes, clothing, hats and a few other
things the people need to make life
| worth the living.
When England entered the war, the
government left the plan of produc'
ton and distribution of war munitions
in the hands of private individuals
To continue that plan meant an abso
lutte failure, so the government prac
tically took hold of the machinery o.
production and distribution, paying
the owners a. small profit. II THU
plan is good in war time, it cannot b.
bad any other time.
PROF. KEASBEY'S DISMISSAL.
Scott Nearing had to pay the penal
ty Of being on the right side. Numer
Gus other professors have paid tn
same penalty.
The latest is DR.. L. M. keasbey, dis
~