Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-13
SOCIALISM IS
| BIG PERIL IN
WORLD TODAY
T. G. r. Gordon%Shows Fail
q ure Of Government Owl
ership In Address

" Placing A. G.. TOWnley and other
Nonpartisan league leaders squarely
in the Socialist ranks, FG.R. Gordon,
labor expert, delivered a scathing in
dictment of Socialism as the greatest
threat against the civilization Of the
world today in an address at the East
Grand Forks city halI Tuesday night.
Quoting actual facts and figures,
the speaker showed hoSv Socialism
has been tried out, and how socialist
ic experiments now being tried in
various parts Of the world. are prov
ing miserable failures.
Tied To Townley.
In drawing the deadly parallel be-
tween the leaders of the Nonpartisan
league and the radical Socialists, Mr..
Gordon cited the case of ]. j. Saltus
Of Minneapolis.
~. J.. Saltus," he said, was for
mserly the candidate for congress OF
the Socialist party. AS such lie re-
ceived approximately 5000 votes.
Later he became an organizer for the
Nonpartisan League, founded by A.
c.. Townley, formerly a Socialist lead
err.
"He represented the Minnesota
branch of the Socialist party at the
national convention held by the So
cialists in New York. After his re-
turn from that convention 1 debated
with him in Minneapolis.
C~onfiscatc Property.
"In that debate Mr.. Saltus said that
when the Socialist party came into
power. the first thing that would be
done would be the reputation of the
Liberty bonds, issued to pay the ex-
penses of the capitalist war.
II pointed out to him that this
might be difficult, as these bonds
were held by some 10000. 900 people.
He replied that this made no differ
ence; these bonds, and all other
property obtained by robbery would
be confiscated.
These remarks of his were print
ed in the Minneapolis papers, and
were matters of common knowledge,
but in spite of hat fact. ]. j.. Saltus
has now been endorsed by the Nom
partisan league for congressman in
Minnesota"
Government Ownership.
Taking up the question of govern
ment owned railways, Mr.. Gordon
discussed in detail the actual facts in
connection Herewith, quoting actual
figures to show that in general rates
charged by the roads are double
those charged in the United States,
while the wages paid to employees are
only half as large.
Taking up the public ownership of
telephone lines which prevails in
France, Mr.. Gordon said:
Applying the rates that prevail in
France under public ownership the
yearly cost of a telephone in a town
the size Of Grand Forks would be
about SIT with no service after 10
o'clock at night or on Sundays and
holidays. At the same time the girls
who work in the telephone exchange
would receive wages of from SO to
IS per week.
r- What Townley Vote Means.
do you want this condition to pre-
vail here? If you do, all you have
to do to help bring it about is to vote
the Nonpartisan League ticket in the
next month";"
Conditions in Australia and New
Zealand, made famous by Walter
Thomas Mills were dealt with in de-
tail by Mr.. Gordon, who showed how
in these countries with socialistic
government developed to the highest
point. public ownership has proven a
failure.
Mills Paradise.
Railway wages are 40 per cent
shigher on the privately owned rail-
ways Of America than on the public
'ly owned railways of Australia, Mr..
Gordon said, while the rates on the
publicly owned railways of Australia
;are six times as high as on the pri-
vately owned railways Of the United
States" The sneaker quoted tho ar
3tual figures to prove this point.
In summing up his conclusions Mr..
Gordon declared that government
ownership of business always produc-
cd waste, extravaganza and red
tape"
If you want to bring those con-
ditions about here, vote the Townley
ticket he concluded.
Fred Van Camp. candidate for the
Senate from Pembina county, is salts
ned that the present N~onpartisan