The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-03-08
SHOULD | PEOPLE
VOTE IN FAVOR OF
... BUYING. ]! | IN RAILWAY
There Can Be Little Objection
to |nstructing Commissioners
What to Do,

docs Duluth want to buy the
street railway plant and run it as a
city enterprise asks the Rerald, and
it votes "no.'
docs Duluth need the street rail-
way plant. to run it as: a city enter
prise" asks The Labor World, and it
votes "yes."
It is a $3.50 vote and it will take
more than the opinions of the two
newspapers to decide the question.
Fortunately we cannot decide it, for
the Herald is always against public
ownership-at home, while The Labor
World is always for it, at home, and
everywhere.
The people of Duluth are open
minde6 on the question OF public own
ership. Sometimes they have voted
for it and sometimes they have voted
against it. but they have voted in
favor of public ownership more times
than they have voted against it, and
we have every reason, to believe they
will vote in favor Of public ownership
this time. They at least have greater
reason for voting in favor of purchas-
ing the street railway plant than they
have had for buying any public utility
in recent years.
Talk Price Later.
In other days the Herald did not
quibble over the price to be paid for
purchasing a private plant 1t was
willing that we should pay twice its
value for the old gas and water sys-
tenn. Now it is fearful lest we will
pay big price for the property Of
the street railway company; that we
will pay for the plant and for its
watered stock -d and bonds. bonds.--.
That is question We can we'll leave
to the city commissioners just now
If the people vote to purchase it will
! be up to the commissioners to drive as
4go6d bargain as It he;ys-tan tan Their
te ~ Onf
depend upon their capabiltty of MAX
ing good business deal. What do we
! elect them for anyhow?
r. May btes. e. e. ~ tspas1 more
than the physical Valuation for the
plant. We would not seriously object
! to doing so. It wouldn't be bad busi-
, ness. It may be worth it to get the
private company out Of the way 50
that we can make extensions to Ken
; wood and other outlying places with
! out having to spend more than the
! interest every year on the good will
price in trying our cases in court to
| compel the private concern to make
necessary extensions.
Help Duluth Expand.
] Real estate dealers will find it good
! business to favor public ownership
and most Of them are in favor Of it
this time, because they know on which
side Of their bread the butter should
be spread. They have had their deal
ings with the present management of
the street railway company. and they
are satisfied that Duluth's only hope
for spreading out is in the public
| ownership of the street railway sys-
! tenn.
Workingmen will favor public own
ership because they have to ride on
the cars. and they are tired Of being
! packed in them like so many sardines
: every morning and night. They want
some free air while going to and
! coming from their work. Business
men should favor public ownership
because they want the folks to get
into town and buy goods. So when
all is said only the two daily newspa-
pers and the crowd that is usually
with the public service corporations
will vote mo" with the Herald. The
great bulk of Duluth voters will vote
| YES" with The Labor World.