New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-06
steilalnetz Talks
Politics Hour
r, W Workshop
With Shirt Sleeves Rolled
I'm. Fusion Nominee for
state Engineer Says He's
100 Busy 10 Keep Posted
Still a Socialist, He Says
Electrical Wizard Has Good
Word for Republicans,
and Praises Alfred Smith
Fro~ a stor corT9spondsat

SCHENEttRDI l. ~ =, 1aiJ o'--i1r'
rs.,rss p. Steinmetz, the worid-famed
.Iaetrieal wizard, who will be the fu-
~ nominee FOR State Engineer and
s s,v of the Socialist and Farmer
sshar narties this fall, talked politics
~ more than an hour at his home here
tonight. -.
..S;neer Of the General Electric Com
ssnv shousd be prepared for surprises.
ssi.bough his salary for yesrG has been
2 excess OF %tGe go aaaNa,ly, his
ha,ne is MS unpro oCt!a-s 2a one Of the
s,e4ace weil-pai5 U'oYGer5 O. the great
,,ant over which he reigf;s. AMtl though
ka had been working ali dag and it was
dark. he was ss'll laborag in his
rojled-ep shist s seves wien he re-
cs;ved the Tribune representative.
nespite TIE fact that ne has been a
soeialiss fer forsy years and was
Sriyer OF Of Germany Ter Sanning a
soeisIist paper. lie had a good word for
she Republican party. ie expressed
rrauslifed foncncss Tor Ex-Governor
Alfred E. Smith whom he knew very
wall while il Albany, and Intense ad-
miration Tor the late Colonel Roosevelt.
II shall be too busy with my work
IN make campaign" began Dr. Stein
metz. III, however, the Eacple elect
me State Engineer, shall G.Ve to the
state all the benefit O. iay skill and
experience as an engineer. / would
like TO give more definite answer to
your question, but / cannot until l
have studied the problems with which
the State Engineer will have to deal in
1928 and 1924"
Talked Freely and Frankly
DR.. Steinmetz talked freely and
frankly, but once in while would re-
ply, smilingly; I'll answer you if you
don't publish what | say At other
times, as for instance when be was
ssked what he knew OF the attempt of
the Socialist leaders to develop "a gen.
eral labor party" with the present So
eialist and Farmer Labor parties as
nucleus, he said:
T don't know. ] haven't the time to
keep in touch with the details of po
litical movements"
Nevertheless, he was eager for all
the gossip Of politics, and when the
row in the Democratic party over the
attempt of William Randolph Hearst
to shelve Ex-Governor Smith was dis
cussed his face lighted up as he spoke
of the former Governor, whom he al
ways referred to as either al" or CAL
Smith"
II know Al Smith and have a very
high opinion of him." said DR.. Stein
metz. Il knew him we'll when he was
in Albany. He is broad-minded, very
liberal, and gave US q good admins
tration, and was sorry he was not
reelected"
What do you think of Mr.. Hearst 2"
well, there's very little difference
between the two" said DR.. Steinmetz
Asked which OF the two he would pre-
fer to see nominated by the Democrats,
he laughed and said: al would like to
zee them candidates at different times.
Not opposing one another" Asked for
bis opinion of Governor Miller, he an
ssered: ~ haven't seen enough of
aim, But of the two older parties my
preference goes to the Republican
party, rather than to the Democratic
Il is the Republican party's principle
OF Capitalization which appeals to me,
the principle that subordinates the
several states to the nation, the munich
palities to the state and the individual
to the municipality. The Democratic
party is for decentralization, which is
the old German idea, where the state
attempted nothing that could be done
by the individual and where the in
dividual was absolute. So you see that
! am more of a Republican than a
Democrat
Explains He Still Is Socialist
AS the notes were beng made of
this last, DR.. Steinmetz added:
vi course, you won't make it ap-
pear that | am 2 Republican, when I
am Socialist and have been for forty
years. Nor that | am praising the Re-
publican party's leadership in this
state, for it has not nominated for
Office candidates l consider worthy
since Roosevelt, and Colonel Roosevelt
owed the leaders nothing, for they
Tried to put him in the cooler by
making him President.
of course, Hughes is also a pro-
g1essive type, but he is a lawyer, while
roosevelt was q great statesman. To
garry out my thought little further:
10 dealing with the social issue l may
pe Socialist and vote with the So
ciaiist party, but that does not hinder
me- POLITICALLY, from being a Republi-
s esh or Democrat by accepting one or
~. .ne other doctrines which distinguish
snese TWO dominant parties from each
o.aer. The question of prohibition
wa was represented by a party, the Pro-
nnii titn party. One could be a Pro-
n'g,tlonist and at the same time either
republican Or Democrat"
, Ut steinmetz, should the mira culous
happen and he be elected, will not be a
stranger to public office, for he was
ssieeted president of this city's legis-
. .stise body in 1914 and president over
me common councils deliberations for