Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-02
RECORD TALKS
0NMONOP0L|ES
Senator Frelinghuysen's 0p-
ponent Speaks Here Last
Night at Tent Meeting
MANY AT THE Meeting
Methods of Trusts and Money
Interests Explained by
Jersey City Man

George l.. Record, speaking here
last night, predicted that Senator
Joseph 5. Frelinghuysen whom he
hopes to succeed in the United
States senate, will be forced by the
people of New Jersey to come out
tiat-footed on the Public Service
rate matter and other matters con-
cerning corporation control i'll the
state. He said that his opponent
for the Republican nomination for
United States senator may hope to
go through the campaign pussy
footing" on every issue but that if he
does then Frelinghuysen has much
to learn of Record campaign meth
od,. He also stated that he will
compel Frelihghuysen to take a pub
lie stand in the great national con-
troversy between the monopoly in
terests and the laboring people of
tho country.
Mr.. Record said:
"a recent sensational disclosure in
the fight between the trolley inter-
ests in the Twin-Citie of Minneapo-
lis and st. Paul and the people oi
those cities, which has been going
on for years, is of peculiar inter
est to people of New Jersey, and Il
all students of the problems Of fix
ing rates.
'.Dr. Delos F. Wilcox. who was g
leading witness for the people in
cur suit against the Public Service
Railway pending in the fedora
court, was retained by the people
of Minneapolis and st. Paul to
fight the trolley interests there. In
these cities, as in New Jersey. there
is holding company similar to
the Public Service Corporation,
which owns the subsidiary company
that runs the trolleys. The peoples
rep1 esentatives desired to see the
books of the company. as we in
New Jersey have long desired to see
the books of the Public Service Cor
poration. The holding company
after a strenuous fight was finally
compelled to give up these books to
DR.. Wilcox for investigation. The
results were literally astounding.
Di. Wilcox found that over two mil
lioE dollars had been spent in ways
which were not accounted for. but
were grouped under the heading of
general expense Some definite
items, however, appeared upon the
books which disclose the relations
between the railway company and
the politicians of both parties. The
political boss of the Republican
party in the state, a man named
Smith. was shown to have received
over $4,000, while the Democratic
boss of the state. man named
Q'Conner, was shown to have re-
ceived some 100000, over a period
of a few years. Other sums were
traced directly to members of the
common councils of the two cities.
VINO had voted for the ordinances
n 1Sir hu In v,Gn
This is the first definite proof
which I recall. of t.,e naymeHts OF
money directly by these pubic utli-
ity corporations to political leaders.
Tie fact of such payments has been
obvious all over the United Sta;es
but It has always been oittcIlt tC
prove them.
"In a vague way, the people know
that it is difficult and generally i'm
possible for any person to stay in
the public life of the state or nation
who is opposed to these big monopo-
lies. trusts, railroads and public util-
titles, and the conclusive inference IS
that the reason for this is the direct
or indirect payments of money from
these corporate interests to political
leaders of both bodies. Nearly all
prominent political leaders in our
Sldleo dIe HltH WIOSt
wealth has come from some mystic
rious source other than any busi-
ness which they pursue.
"It would be extremely interest
ing if in New Jersey we could obtain
access to the books OF the Public
Service Corporation, which is the
holding company of the gas, electric
light and trolley companies. Mr.
McCarter has always refused to open
the books of the Public Service
Corporation to the Public Utility
Copmission.
The Minse1 oils 81. Paul d'sclos
ures is another proof that the most
powerful corrupting influences in
American politics today are the pub
lie utilities in our states and the rail-
roads in the United States.
I'VE will never get rid of this cor
rupting force until public utilities
including the railroads, are owned
and operated by the government.
This is one of the subjects which
Senator Frelinghuysen refuses to
discuss. 1 have asked him if he will
endorse Senator Runyon's program
of fighting the Public Service Cor
poration on the subject of rates and
valuations, but he declined to ans
wer. I predict. however, that he
will not get through this campaign
without being forced to take stand,
one way or another, upon these ex-
Ixt I'm ,nortont nnaSfinncr