The sun., 1919-05-15

giving out charity to their fellow crea-
lures in the form Of money or something
they know nothing about themselves.
For instance, Andrew Carnegie 40
cumulates his strength by organising
men, making steel and accommodating
money. In the course OF his busy career
books were probably about the last thing
he had time to become familiar with
Yet the only way he can think Of TO help
others is to establish a lot of libraries to
be maintained at the expense OF those he
has established them for.l He had to be
pounded by other force to make better
and cheaper steel and better wage and
living conditions for his so-called equals
who worked for him.
you have. however. the most won
derful opportunity at your command to
practically express the idea Of Brother
hood OF any man who lives.
TN the greatest city in the universe
you control, say. tho Consolidated Gas
Company. which owns the New York
Edison Electric Company. You control
a large number of interstate railroads.
including the coal carrying roads, which
| include the control and ownership Of
competing modes Of conveyance. as well
as the mines themselves, and the coal
lands on which no operations have been
| installed. You control banks, trust
! companies, sources OF financial strength
and organizations Of civic and political
power.
'"Yet you 60 on and permit the opera
| ton of the utilities mentioned in this
great city in a fashion SO behind the in
| ventions Of the age that you lose money
and your 100000 brothers and sisters
in your own city are obliged to pay
outrageous prices. and in some cases go
without necessities. in their effort to get
| comforts and conveniences. and receive
| service so abominably poor that they
are ready to welcome any suggestion OF
change, no matter how dangerous the
source.
"In the last twenty-five years discov-
cries in relation to electricity have come
so fast that now a gashouse located in
city like this should be obsolete and
| Is of no value. A coal wagon on the
| streets OF New York should be a thing
OF the past all heat should be generated
| and can be generated at the source OF
| supply. either a gas we'll. an oil we'll. q
coal mine or q waterfall II can and
| should be transported in the form of
| electric energy and distributed to your
brothers and sisters In this great city on
| WIRE and at n price SO much cheaper
| than the present system requires that II
you were to put the system in operation
| here you would be surprised at the num-
| Der Of your neighbors who would become
really satisfied that you were one OF
| their brothers
And you have the power to put Il in
operation. All you have 10 DO Is to say
| SO, and II will DO done.
IT I should say 30, every coal COM
pany, every railroad company, every
electric company and every gas company
would oppose It, would say that I was
impracticable. eccentric and. II neces-
sary, would call me names, and tho re-
suit would be that would get nowhere
Tho letter ended by giving a list OF
| the benefits that would accrue to the
public from putting the scheme into
effect.
Burke insisted that Thompson take
| the scheme up with Mr.. Brady. They
| saw Mr.. Brady together. but nothing
| ever came Of 1t, although Burke anxious
~ inquired about II later.
| You suppressed a great work OF lit
| erature when you did not send that let
| ter to Mr.. Rockefeller" said Senator
Foley with a smile.
On March 16 at the Republican Club
Burke saw the other letter, of which he
has made ouch mystery. 1t was ad-
| dressed by the Senator to Mayor Hylan
| and was mailed that night.
Thompson's Letter to Hylan.
| Senator Thompson In his letter tc
Mayor Hylan referred 10 the Albany
l hearing on the Carson-Martin bill, and
| added:
| After hearing all the arguments
have concluded that I must oppose any
| Legislation which would make Il possible
for body like the Public Service Com.
| mission by its mere ukase TO change the
terms OF contract between a munich.
/ pality and n traction company IN favor
Of the traction company without at tn,
| same time making II also possible fol
the municipality through some agency tC
| change its contract with the Traction
| company In favor of the people.
but II has been claimed on behalf Of
certain of the traction interests that be
| cause the dual subway contracts were
made under a special provision OF Law
! the city OF New York Is not IN a position
| legally to charge them. write this let
| ter for the purpose OF having you advis,
ME whether there Is lacking any power
in the city OF New York to amend tn,
dual subway contracts II the Traction
companies. laboring under a sudden wave
OF contrition, should come to the New
| York city government offering to make
| a new and fair deal with II.
SHOULD you find that there is any
| lack OF authority in the city government
to deal with these traction companies or
any amendment OF the contracts in favor
| of the city I should be glad TO stand
| sponsor for any proper legislation that
| will give the city government such
power.
al appreciate that some or the mem.
bers or patrons of the Stock Exchang,
sometimes get very much worked III
about widows and orphans.' That ques.
ton does not seem to bother these gen
| tlemen, however. when they are engaged
| In the merry task OF unloading 'securi
ties on these same widows and orphans
| What class OF these securities is 90
held does not appear. but It IL certain
| that all OF them were acquired subject
to the contract with tho city. II tn,
local authorities think that the people
ought to pay more In fares 20 as to make
the Stock Exchange value thereof NOR,
attractive-that is a matter for the ioca
| government to deal with.
I'm plain language, as see the sit
uation. the day of accounting is ap
preaching. It Is pay day" for manipu
lation of the traction companies stock,
and bonds. Those who speculated II
their securities must pay the fines hav.
mig danced In their time. Tho threat
of receiverships means nothing, so far
as the people are concerned. Legtsla
ton can still compel Ave cent fares ant
free transfers on all lines in the cities
and hardly think that any legislator,
will dare deny such legislation. II 1t Is
,or becomes, necessary.
THE theory that there Is something
extra holy about public service com