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jf labor is a necessity to Human ex istence being such it is obvious that under natural conditions it sbea' \be a pleasures, not a penance* VOL. 22. No. 42. DETROIT WILL TAKE HI? Expected to Have Line Under Complete Control by End of Summer. VOTERS WILL HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE TO DECIDE Property To Be Paid for Out of Earnings. Easy Payment Plan Agreed On. DETROIT, May 27.—Complete mu nicipal ownership and operation of the Detroit street railway system be fore the end of the present summer is in prospect. After more than a decade of bick ering between the city and the De troit United Railway company, terms for the actual transfer of the prop erty to the city have been practically decided upon and there is every in dication that by July the munici pality will be in actual control of the system. Sale of the property to the city will give to Detroit the largest mu nicipality controlled street railway system in the world. Value of the company's property has been various ly appraised at from $18,000,000 to $35,000,000. Voters to Act. At a special election, to be held probably during the latter part of June, voters of the city will be asked to give their final approval to the purchase plan. Three-fifths of the voters must approve the proposition, but, If previous popular decisions ot the municipal ownership question may be accepted as a criterion, the vote will be a mere formality. At previous elections, when the question has been submitted, it has carried by overwhelming majorities —by an eight to one vote at the last ©lection on the question—but each time legal obstacles have been inter posed to prevent the actual transfer of the property to the city. These now have been removed, and the June election is cxpected to be the final step necessary for the taking over the lines by the municipality. The exact price at which the prop erty will be sold will be determined by six memebrs of the Wayne county (Detroit) circuit court, sitting in chancery. Under terms of agreement between the city street railway commissioners and the railway directors, the court may fix any price it deeips fair, and both sides must accept its findings, or appeal to a higher court. In the meantime—if the voters at the June election signify their ap O SOME LESSONS FROM EUROPE PPONENTS of government ownership claim that, what ever the advantages may be freight rates are higher in Europe than in this country. And comparisons are generally made with Germany in which it is claimed that the freight rates average 14 mills a ton mile while in the United States they are but 7.5 mills per ton mile, and that while the earnings of our railways in 1910 were $10,940 per mile, if the European rate had been charged they would have been $14,580 a mile. Comparisons of this kind must be taken with many reservations and qualifications. In the first place heavy bulk freight, like coal, iron ore, lumber, building materials, wheat and grain, which make up a large part of the traffic in this country and enjoy low rates, is carried almost exclusively by canals and water ways in ^Germany because it is cheaper to do so. In addition, transportation is not the only item, for switching charges, terminal costs, demurrage and many other items are added in America some of which do not prevail in Ger many. To properly compare freight rates the same commodities under similar distances and conditions should be taken, and IT IS MY OPINION THAT ON THE SAME KIND OF TRAFFIC THE RATE ON GERMAN RAILWAYS IS AS LOW IF NOT STREET RAILWAY SYSTEM proval—the entire system will be controlled and operated by the city. Neither the city nor the. railway com pany, under the provisions of the con tract, may withdraw from the agree ment in the event that the court's figure is unsatisfactory. Negotiations between, the city and the company reached a climax several weeks ago when the street railway commissioners submitted to the rail way stockholders a tentative propo sition providing for the transfer of the property to the city at a sale price of "not "to exceed 924,900,000." In executive session, the stockhold ers voted to accept the proposition at the price named. The railway com missioners then entered their real bid for the- property, offering to as sume the entire bonded indebtedness on the city lines—namely $23,250,000 —in return for a clear title to the property, free from mortgage. Refusing to accept this latest of fer, the company made the counter proposition that the circuit court be permitted to fix the sale price. To this, the railway commissioners agreed. No Money Down. Not a single dollar will be paid down by the city for the company's property. The contract will provide that the property be paid for out of the earnings of the system, on long time and easy payments. The city will not bind itself for any amount nor render itself liable in any way except to operate the sys tem, and, out of the earnings, to keep it in good condition and grad ually to pay off the bonded indebted ness. It is proposed that the city shall assume oontrol of all the lines within the "one fare zone," which includes all lines within the city limits and several divisions extending beyond the limits. Approximately 225 miles of track will be taken Over by the city. Anriifw^empt6yes,ritl^l,u^n^aV-" proximately 2,000 motormen, and con ductors, will be re-employed by the city. VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS PRAISED BY MAYOR BOSTON, May 29. Vocational schools were praised by Mayor Curley at a state conference of these teachers. The city executive said: "Any insti tution that prepares boys and girls for good citizenship and equips them with all that is needed to increase their earning capacity cannot be too highly recommended. Such institutions lift men and women to a higher plane of living and solve many of the problems that confront the community." LOWER THAN IN AMERICA. "The People Pay the Freight." THE important question is "What does it cost a people for trans portation?" For the people pay the freight in everything that they consume. It enters into the cost of living. And in this respect the sta tistics are more nearly final although disturbing elements enter here as well. In 1911 the railroads collected $2,826,917,967 from the American people for transportation. That is $30.72 for every man, woman and child in the country. It amounts to about $150 per family or one-third as much as the total wages of a large part of the working population. The German railways for the same year collected $821,651,945 or $12.64 per capita or $63.20 per family. It Is rather diffflcuit to reconcile these facts with' the claim that German freight rates are twice what they are in this country. A fairer comparison is between the private roads in Europe and the public ones. And here the compari son is all in'favor of the latter. In practically every country rates were reduced following the nationalization while in most of the couhtries charges are constantly being, adjusted to heeds and new demands. Freight rates in England are particularly high and arfe very complicated. Where Travel is Cheap. WHEN 'we examine passenger fares we are on a surer foundation. And here the My paramount object in this struggle PLEAD NOT GUILTY Arraigned With Contractors iii U. S. Court on "Trust" Charges. CHICAGO, May 28.—Thirty-one of the group of 100 labor leader?, build ing:. •contractors, ^|ectrical company -corporations, indicted for combining in restraint of trade several weeks ago appeared be fore Judge KenesaW Mountain Landis sitting in United States district court here Monday to plead. Fifteen of the defendants filed de murrers while an equal number pleaded "not guilty." Gustavus Adol phus Edward Kohler, named in the indictment as George A. E. Kohler, asked that the indictment be quashed on the ground that he is not George A. E. Kohler. No action will be taken on the pleas until the demurrers have been acted on. The balance of the indicted group will enter their pleas before Judge Landis, June 7. comparison is distinctively in favor of the government lines. The aver age fare in Germany is .88 cents a mile and in England it is 1.75 cents or nearly twice as much. All Eu ropean countries have different class coaches and fares to correspand. In Germany the first class fare is 2.5 cents a mile. Second class is 1.8 and third class is 1.1 cents. The third class in Prussia costs but .93 cents a mile.. In addition a large number of persons travel fourth class at a very low. rate. The very low average cost of passenger travel is seen in the fact that 40 per cent of the passengers travel third class and 45 per cent fourth class while only 11 per cent travel second class and less and one per cent first class. The following are the charges for a trip of 400 miles, single fare, in diferent countries. In Europe rates are third class, in America in coaches. Denmark. -. Germany Switzerland... Belgium Great Britain. United States. vate) REX AND YRIC THE A TERS DO $2.90 (State) $5.56 $6.66 $4.85 $8.25 (Private) $8.00 to $12 (Pri- Real Public Service. BUT service, as the primary mo tive of administration, is not so well indicated by low passenger rates for single and return fares, it is indicated rather by the many methods employed to ENCOURAGE TRAVEL DISTRIBUTE POPULATION FROM THE LAB WORLD FOB SOCIAL JUSTICE. EGONOMIC SEFOHM AND POLITICAL PROGRESS. I have just read yours of the 18th instant, addressed to myself through the ''New .York Tribune.'.' If there be in it any statements or assumptions of fact which I know to be erroneous, I do not here and now controvert them. If there be" in it any inferences which I w^Slelieye to be falsely drawn, I do not here and now argue against them. If there be perceptible in it an impatient ^lidndictatorial tone, I waive.it, in deference to an old friend whose heart I have always supposed to right. As to the policy I "seem to be pursuing,'as you say, I have not meant to leave any one in doubt. I would save the Union. I would save it"shortest way under the constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored, the nearer the Union will be—-the Union as it was.' 4 If there be those who would not save the Union Unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the^Union unless they could at Jhe same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. if- is t& slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing Iny slave, I would do it if I could save it by free ing all the slaves I would do it and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. 3T, What I do about slavery and the colored r|i?e, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not beHqve it could help save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe that what I am doing hurts the cause and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will helps the cause. I shall try to correct errors where shown ^t be errors, and I shall adopt new views as fast as they shall appear true views. $ I have here stated my purpose according tojmy .views of official duty, and I intend no modi fication of my oft expressed personal wish that all ien elsewhere could be free. •r. -r-m- BALTIMQRE, Ma\|k 27,—-rAn eight toe' pay. as re [.with' wage in standard 'has 3rown Cork & jal union, No. itlon is com who are em- hour day with th£ ceived for ten hogr: creases over a c6rt been secured by the Seal Operatives' lc 14,204. This organ!. posed mostly of gi ployed by the Cr^i company. Because tional union in this is affiliate ^deration' SHALL THE GOVERNMENT OWN THE RAILROADS HI. Passenger and Freight Rates and Services THE CITIES TO THE COUNTRY SIDE, TO' PROMOTE, BETTER HOUSING AND IN OTHER WAYS UTILIZE THE RAILWAYS AS A GREAT AGENCY OF CONVENI ENCE TO THE PUBLIC. On holidays and Sundays the trains running out of German cities are packed with families—especially in the third and fourth class compart ments—going to the many places, of recreation, in the country. On these days it seems as though the entire city were out for a holiday. In Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Denmark the idea lias been carried much further. Season tickets are sold for 5, 15, 30 and 45 days upon which one may travel as long as he likes and on any'of the railroads in the country. For a small sum he can travel five miles or 10,000 iniles. The third class fare in Belgium for five days is $2.60 and for 15 days it is $4.90. These tickets are psed not only for holiday travel but by travel ing men. In Switzerland all of the 3,000 miles of railway as well as all the steamboats are available' for Use at the following prices on season tic kets: ... AND SUPERIOR, MAY 29, 1915. ./V- For -1st Cjassr.2nl eji^ss SM Class 15 days. $lt.O0l: save the Union, and not either to save or destroy Cork &.' Seal iere is no na* iuUtry the union The manner finf "which the business of this union is conducted, together with gains made,, proves that women can organize and can improve work ing conditions, as well as men, with out the interference of well-mean ing outsiders, who advise girls in all manner of ways except urge. them to organize and help themselves. A. F. df Lv Organizer Eichelberger assisted the girls in negotiating their new wage scale, and this trade union ist says:' "The union-was formed about four years ago, the present agreement be ing the second made with the com pany. "The first agreement amounted, in the aggregate, to about $52,000 per year increase in wages the one just obtained amounts to about $59,000 per annum. So in a little over four .years the American Federation of Labor has procured over $257,000 for these girls. Does- women's organisation pay? What other set of wording, girls in Baltimore have the eight-hour day?' $12:00 fS-^OO 30 days .. 25.00 18100 7 13.00 45 days 33.00 23.00 17.00 I^i Italy* season tickets are sold for the purpose of bringing the different parts of. the country into closer un-: ion and-for. the purpose of encourag-' Men Who Speak English Desired Most By Farmers In Many Instances. Between 16,000 and 18,000 men will be needed to harvest t?6e grain -in Qk lahoma starti ng'a,bo»t June 5, accord^ fng -to infoimatton tJhat has bVfefi y® ceived by Postmaster McEWen from the bureau of immigration, United States department of labor. The farmers in Oklahoma in most instances perfer mfen fior the harvest who speak the English language ac cording to the .communication from Washington. Those who are unable to speak English should communicate with W. G. Ashton, commissioner of labor, Oklahoma City, to learn whether it will be possible for them' to obtain employment. Men leaving for the Oklahoma har vest field must pay their own ex penses.- -The harvesting will. begin June 5 in the southwestern part ing trade. Thus monthly tickets are sold over the whole system fOr $2-3 and yearly tickets for $175 good in third class compartments. .When it is considered that .the great majority of 'the people travel third class that no loss of dignity attaches to such travel, it is seen how inconsiderate is the cost of travel in these countries especially under spe cial rates. Serving the Workers. BELGIUM has carried the idea much farther. For years the state has been endeavoring to distribute the people out of the towns to the country side. It has sought to relieve housing conditions and at the same time enable, the working classes to- own' their own- little places in the country. To accomplish this the railways are run like street railways „and tens of thousands of- workman live 10, 20 •and even 40 miles from their work and travel to and fro .-from the city daily Workmen's tickets available for six days in the v?eek are sold for 30 cents- -for 12 miles and for' 35 1 8 As one traVels across the country in the evening one sees long trains filled., with .-jmen earning from some distant clty'. who disembark .in great crowds at the* station and go to their little homes, wher,e, in the mornings, evenings and on Sundays they work a little patch of land ^and increase their wages ffom- this source, Many other conveniences are pro vided for the ordinary traveler that On Street Railway Line Which Coven Distance of One Mile. CLEVELAND, O., May 29.—Jitney bus drivers who have been anticipat ing, a. la su^-rosa. rejuvenated busi ness with the opening o'f the new East Ninth street dock? did not reck on with Street Railway Commission er Witt's strategical resources fior blockading his competitors* move ments. But Witt fooled 'em by an nouncing, that a penny street car service is to be maintained from Pub lic Square to the pier, with no strings attached. When the new line is established Cleveland will boast' tlje cheapest street car fare in.-'the wiorld—with the possible exception of, Cherylyn, Col., where' si' horse performs the work of a non-union motorman- with out compensation. Witt says the line will be in oper ation about the first of June. He anticipates heavy business from sight-seers, who will obviously for sake the more expensive modes of city, travel for the bargain rates af forded on the new line. Witt says the street railway company will not lose money at the reduced rate, des pite the ifact that the line is 5,280 feet in length. "The foremost purpose of the pen ny car line is to eliminate the trans fer nuisance," Witt said. •'Passen gers .transferring at the Square to the drock line shrill, not be given trans-. fare' in jcash.*' LABOR LEADERS NAMED TO STATE COMMISSION ALBANY, N.VY., May 28^John Mitchell and James M. Lynch were appointed by Gov. Whitman as mem bers of the state industrial commis sion, which supersedes the Workmen's compensation commission and the state labor department. Mitchell was named chairman. June, 8 in the opntral ^section and June 12 in the northwestern part of the state. Wages will range from $2 to, $3 per day with board, according' to the Washington letter.- are accorded only by' the Pullman service in this country. The through trains have restaurant cars in which one can secure good food at prices suited to his pufse. The splendid stations have commodious restaur ants attached while the safety of the passenger is guarded in every pos a Sleeping car service costs "about the same as in this country. The first class compartment trains are very luxurious. The car is divided into compartments jjwitlv lavatories at tached .to each. Many. it the cars have observation, parlors attached while all dt the cars, both first andf second class arg of th* CQg&partment kind so that the traveler has very much more privacy than in this country. The compartment car 4s in univer sal use in Europe for all purposes. The compartment wlll accommodate from stx to eight tyiople. About the only difference between tb^e first ana second class is in the upholstery "and the greater privacy possible in former. Country The tradeunion is a standing dial-. lemge to that mbcnHe old cynicism^ "Every man for htipedf, and tile deiil tal^e tbe hindmost," the Malttap Travel safe. CCIDENTST to ppssfngers are very rare in Europe especially on, the- continent. Accidents in United .States y.-,".... ... Grfeat Britain •i TWO GKNT& 40 Per Cent Building Trades Me chanics of Superior R* ported Idle* DULUTH CARPENTERS ARE NOT ALL WORKING Warning Note to Workers^In Other Cities Issued By Unions of Both Cities. Regardless of many "rosy" reports that, have been circulated concerning the.unemployed situation at the Head of the Lakes those engaged in the. building trades are haying a hard, time making both ends meet accord ing to official notices issued by the Building Trades Council of Superior and the Carpenters' union of Duluth. It is estimated that 40 per cent^of the carpenters, bricklayers and build ing mechanics of Superior are "idle and a slightly •greater percentage 'of the union men in Duluth are seeking employment. Building' operations are by .no means normal and at .the present time but little work is in sight, al though it is predicted that consider able work will be started this coming summer. 'Warning is being-issued to building trade mechanics to stay away ffont Duluth and Superior so that the mar ket will not be swamped. It is esti mated by Superintendent Scoon ,of the Wisconsin Free Employment bureau that there are at least 1,000 laborer)! out of work in Superior find many men are for the fir^t time in their lives begging for something to eat and sleeping at the expense of char* itable organisation. .Labor papers In oth^ parte e$ t?J| Northwest wiU confer a p*rior In gWng this lteaa lhe sary publicity. '.'*"7: IMMIGRATION" GBEAT DANGER TO U. 8. LABOJ SEATTLE, Wash., May 29.—' greatest- danger that the labor moyi ment is now called upon to face unrestricted* immigration, said. Theresa, S. McMahon, assistant feasor of political science, Universit of Wisconsin, in a speech befor unionists in this city. She said the tides of immigrants had completely changed the industrial^ system in this country, and had also' crippled the political power of imeri^j can trade unionist^, despite the con 4 tinued development of the best side •of the organized movemient. By DR. FREDERIC C. HOWE The same authority gives the dent statistics of American and pean roads in th^' table below., (In his next artlcle, Mr.. Howe discuss The ^inancial AJpect of ernment ownership of Editor's Note.) Passengers Carried 891,472,425 080,711 441,936,931ft 1,469,987,000 193,069,662 N France Germany Belgium ^^,. 11*. J* England on the private, roads are: very much higher than elsewhere •oifM the state owned lines. A passenger's chance of being killed is 18 times as great in tKe^ United States as in France and th$ danger of injury is 40 times greater, In .1912 the railway death tell this country was. 318 while the in-^ jured numbered 16,386. One --enti-J ploye out of every six was either killed^ or injured, the. number of ,employes^ killed being 3,235 and injured 50,079 A writer in the Outlook says the rail roads in this country have "flagranti?/ ignored the laws requiring the adop^j tion of ^safeguards In equipment. their desire, to- maintain divide#^ rates on. copiously watered stocks^ they have permitted both roadbe&l and rolling stock to deteriorate/* Passengers Killed ,, jinjtfr*# ^-'ir 121- -J- /©f&t l!r