Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-25
RECORD SPEAKS
At PLA|NF|ELD
Government Ownership Ad-
vocate Says Wealthy Inter-
eStS Issuing Propaganda

PLAINFTELD. Aug. E5.-George
H.. Record insisted, IN II speech de-
livered here last night that all con
tention that government ownership
Of public utilities fails, is propagan-
Ia, put out by the wealthy private
interests behind these utilities. He
proceeded to cite cases IN which the
public ownership has shown great
profit to the taxpayers and he de-
clared that the issue is still a live
II in New Jersey. He maintains
hat the Public Service corporation
can operate on a five cent fare basis
in New Jersey despite the court
opinion to the contrary. He believes
he time will come when the five
cent fare basis will again be oper-
, alive and declared his intention to
tight to this end
In his campaign against Senator
Joseph S. Frelinghuysen for the Re-
publican nomination for United
States Senator, Record is making
public ownership of public utilities
one of the big issues. This with the
Newberry case, and the Esch-Cum-
Minis bill on which Freiinghuysen
voted favorably to the trusts" ac-
cording to Record. are the principal
features in the primary campaign
battle for the senatorial nomination.
Record said in part:
II find in my campaign that many
people have been confused by the
elaborate propaganda carried on by
the big interests in this country
against the government ownership
of railroads and puolic utilities to
the effect that government owner-
ship of any such service always has
been a failure. The claim that the
government control of the railroads
during the war was a failure, is
completely answered by the facts
presented to a senatorial commit
tee by Director of Railroads William
G. McAdoo. After a preliminary
three months trial, he selected the
five railroad presidents who had
made the best sho wing, and en-
trusted to them the complete con-
troll of all the railroads Of the coun-
try. holding them responsible Tor
the results. If these railroad men
ran the railroads thus entrusted to
their care wastefully o. inefficiently
then they are either incompetent
railroad men or deliberately mis-
managed the roads in order to dis
courage public control. If they mis-
GU liz looto osi IVY tht~y
were traitors to the public in a time
of critical danger, which is hard to
believe. The truth is that the rail-
roads, judged by every criterion of
efficiency and economy used in the
railroad world, were run with bet
ter results than ever before in their
history. This vas due primarily to
the saving that accrued
from the consolidation IF all Of the
terminals, rolling stock II other
facilities of the roads.
1.-THE same story Of efficiency of
public ownership as against private
ownership is found wherever the
public has underwritten any service
which affects the daily life of the
people. In the city of Cleveland the
municipality owned electric light
plant, starting in a small way, has
grown to very large proportions,
and has reduced the price Of electri-
city from ten cents per k1lowatt
hour to three cents, and has paid its
way handsomely all of the time since
it has been in existence.
"The San Francisco Street Rail-
way likewise proved a very great
success financially, and IS now run
ming on a five cen basis. The Cleve-
land Street Railway, which is now
virtually a municipality owned n
operated plant, has gone back to a
five cent fare with one cent for a
transfer, although every Cther priv
ately owned railroad IN the country
is operating on a six, seven or eight
cen fare.
Mayor Cousins has taken over
the street railways of Detroit and is
,,rrtor khavH rYnnn a fua nnnf fQra 4
basis. He is one of the most sue
cessful business men in the country,
and is finding that this municipality
owned company is going to be very
profitable to the city on a five cent
fare basis.
1.-THE street railways now owned
by the Public Service Corporation
obtained their franchises upon a
solemn contract never TO exceed a
five cent fare. Prior to the war this
ate proved extremely profitable for
upwards of fifteen years. Notwith-
standing the decision or the court,
public opinion will always hold that
the company should have been held
to its contract during the lean years.
having had the advantage Of the
fifteen years of an extremely prof
table contract.
IF the street railways of Cleve-
land. San Francisco and Detroit can
be p%rofitably run on 4 five cent fare
basis, there is no reason why the
same thing cannot be done in New
Jersey. This problem will v be
settled permanently in u state I'M
til a five cent fare is restored"
Mr.. Record will talk at Somerville
tonight.