The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-04-02

>Id. nate to see live men on the city
like. Phillips. but am.
glad there is one Phillips there, and
shall vote to return him to office"
Compliment to Phillips. -.
= That was q fine compliment to the;
man and it is q splendid recognition,
OF the qualities he possesses. It is. con-:
Eceded that Phillips q union man and
has been for many years. He was once
president OF the Federated Trades as.
sembly. He served the city later5as an
alderman and made an exceptionally
oper and builder. He is not a mere
visionary. He never hangs his hat
higher than he can reach
In spite of the fact that Phillips
received a majority Of all votes cast,
at the primary election. his enemies
and the, enemies Of labor have re-
doubled their efforts to get him. ANY;
thing to beat Phillips is their cry.
They even succeeded in getting. a small
group of card" men to declare
against; him. Some of them have re-;
turned to his support. while a rene--
gade: or two are still holding out. It Is
not believed their influence will
amount to much. -;
It is Phillips candor and independ-
ence, as much as anything else. that.
have givens him such good standing
in this election. In all matters: of
business and legislation coming before
the council he has refused to pledge
himself in advance to vote on single
proposition He is not subject to In
fluence and will not commit himself
until he has heard all the arguments
to be advanced. :
:, Made Some Enemies.
This attitude has made him some
enemies among former friends. He.
has taken exactly the same position
with reference to demands of labor
from time to time made AS an indi-
cation Of his courage and independ-
ence he on one occasion appeared be-
fore the Trades assembly,. stood his.
ground, and said that he did not only
represent labor in the city council,
but all the people. - -
Some of the union engineers are.
opposing Phillips for just such rea-
son. They attempted to compel him
to insist upon the employment Of a.
uH1OH cu61HScI OA- lAc PuU1lC uC4llc
tiezs building after the. contractors
had positively refused to do so., The
same contractors afterwards declared
that "Phillips was only fighting
against the open shop" =. ,-5ve
Now this small group. of union men
are working hand in hand with the
"open shop" contractors to defeat
Phillips, Their object was completely
revealed at the meeting of the Feder-
ated Trades assembly held last Friday
evening. ....slr..z5 ~..-..s@5: ~
-, His Public RECORD.
But the big thing is not Phillips
position as labor man. but his pub.
lie record. Has there beer. one sue. J,
'cessfM charge made against his ad-
ministration Of the water and light
department? No. not one! In spite
Of the fact that prices have advanced
considerably during the last four-year
period, through his management there
has been no increase in water and gas
rates. Indeed during 1925 he turned
over &175. 900 Of surplus into the city
treasury. while the privately-ownad
public utilities are crying for higher.
rates, Phillips has been selling gas
and water at pre-war rates and at the
same time is redeeming water and
light bonds and putting money into
the treasury Of the city.
His fight against the dual water
system has made him many enemies
It was q special privilege they wanted
There was danger In It to the public
health. Phillips stood pat axainse
1Coafiunoil ~ paee