Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume], August 02, 1913, Image 1

About Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1902-1919

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
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Recognition: The Reward for Midnight Murder in Mexico I
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VOL. XXII. Twelfth Year SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, AUGUST 2, 1913 5 Cents the Copy No. 16 I
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LeROY ARMSTRONG .... Editor
DOWN WITH THE TELEPHONE.
I notice thai my other friend, the government
at Washington, has instituted proceedings cal
culated to hamper, impair and destroy tho Bell
Telephone Company. Of course that is not the
title of tho action that has been started at Port
land. This now bit of business crippling wears
all the gay garb of tho Shernian anti-trust law
a bit of ancient law fathered by the chilliest old
party that ever broke into either house of con
gress, not excepting tho late Benjamin Harrison,
of frigid memory. Tho theory is that tho suit
is instituted in tho interest of tho people of these
United States, and that when tho government has
carried tho case to a successful termination
fiom the standpoint jof tho prosecution, then tel
ephoning will cost (the people less, and be of
better service qualitythan it is now, or could bo
without tho prosecution.
And that is a silly and a baseless assump
tion. If there is any business on the face of the
earth that ought to be loft alone, it is the tel
ephone. We of Salt Lako have had our day of
experience in that sort of thing, and it isn't at
all a pleasant memory. It wasn't tho fault of
oithor company that tho service laoked some
thing of perfection when both the companies
were hero but it was tho fault of both of them
that there worn two. No man could do any con
siderable business without having two phonos,
and the expense wa? doubled, whilo tho vexation,
annoyance and profanity were trebled.
That same Portland in which this now suit
has just been launched is at this goodly hour in
tho throes of a double telephone systom. There
aro fow cities between tho oceans in which too
same is not true. And In ovory ono of them a
bettor service could bo rendered by the Boll than
Onco a Democrat stayed In the clear
On a dollar a day, pretty pear.
But now they have Jobs,
And tho porks, and begobs,
Ihey can't live on twolvo thousand a year.
by any opposing concern for the very excellent
reason that tho Bell has tho long lines, and no
alleged independent company on earth could
hope to secure that equipment and none of them
do expect to secure it, now or evermore.
It is no curtailing of the commercial liber
lies of investing gentlemen to say they ought to
find something else as good as the telephone bus
iness in which to risk their money. Unless they
expect to make their profits by selling out to the
big firm, there is small chance indeed for them
to get rich by the hollo route. And there are
such a host of other opportunities whore the
profits aro sure, tho way is clean, and tho wild
zest to serve tho dear people is vastly more easy
to gratify.
Tho government spent money enough to build
tho Lincoln highway of its own and that of tho
defendants trying tho Northern Securities, the
Tobacco and tho Harvester and tho Southern
Pacific cases. And all the effect was to lay on
tho people of tho republic a little heavier bur
den. It doesn't make freight rates or passenger
tickets any cheaper. It doesn't add a whit to the
oaso by which farmers can got a mowing machine
or a package of tobacco.
And tho only effect of this suit against tho tel
ephone company will be to deprive tho big bulk
of tho citizens of cost and convenience in tho
use of tho most necessary and most highly valued
agency that over has been added to tho forward
march of the race.
For tho lovo of peace, prosperity and im
proved service, let tho government quitl
We city folk hold a position
That may be no moro than transition,
But IT it costs moro
Than over berorc,
What tho deuce Is tho good of commission.
THE MANUFACTURERS' LOBBY
It sooms we will have to accept tho Mulhall
stories. He backs them up with so many letters
that look genuine. I am trembling every day
for foar ho will hit some ono between Colorado
and Nevada; but for tho present we havo escaped.
But, granting tho truth of all ho has said,
what is tho significance? Just this: The man
ufacturers of tho nation havo tried to defend
themselves. It is very clear that business was
menaced, that men engaged in ligitimate enter
prises wore .being blackmailed by practical poli
ticians, men who cared for no political party
and fattened on threatening troublo for their
own nation; men who lived by big interests, and
got forced contributions as reward for keep
ing hands off. Very clearly the dornagogno was
abroad in tho land, and ho played on tho harp
with tho labor union string. It is evident that
playing charmed congressmen and senators and
moro's tho charm, a President of tho United H
States into concessions inimical to business, and H
which representatives of business asked for in H
vain. They had to counteract that influence, H
and they did it by trying to put in congress and H
,to keep in congress tho men who we: a loyal to H
the substantial interests of the nation. H
So far as shown tho American Mann factor- H
ers used no really improper methods. Thoy did HI
help the right candidates in thoir campaigns, and H
if they hadn't done it tho walking delegulos H
would this day bo annulling the federal stMulcs H
and vetoing tho vetoes of tho president. H
This nation needs nothing so much as a B
square deal for tho business men. And what a H
sonsiblo nation needs it gets. H
Said Noah to Grant, in tho Ark: M
"Don't you dote on tho song or the lark?" M
Said Orant: "Hain't you heard? M
I havo a new .lrd, fl
And ho does what 1 say. It's Sam Park." M
LAND OF THE FREE
My other old friend, tho plumbers' combine, H
seems to have been having a good time with that H
outrageous enemy of special privilege, tho Midg- H
loy Brothors, who show a pernicious tendoncy to H
violate all labor conventions by attending to their H
own business. And tho thing grows moro inter- H
esting as ono observes that the combine claims H
tho right to close shops, restrain workmen from H
work, abrogate any old sort of contract not ap- H
proved by tho combine, and in a general way to H
do all tho things tho Standard Oil, tho American H
Tobacco and tho International Harvester can't H
do. I always am proud to note tho superiority H
of Salt Lako people in any lino of endeavor, and H
find hero that the blessed plumbing combine of H
this city is biggor than Harriman over was, and H
that its edicts seem to stand whilo ho couldn't H
oven combine two of his own railroads. It just H
goes to show that there is no law suporior to tho H
laws of labor unions. H
Hero aro tho plumbers tho workmen got- H
ling six dollars a day. I don't hesitate to say H
thoy can't earn it not a man of them. It is an H
imposition and an outrage on tho homo owners H
of tho community. But it goes, because it is H
committed in the sacred cause of organized H
labor. H
Not only that, but tho combine can prevent Hj
any man working for the Midgloy company, no H
matter what tho pay, unless that company joins H
tho said combine. And oven after coercing tho H
firm into tho trust, the trust can lift tho ban or H
lot it lio till tho magnates controlling the trust H
conclude thoy havo made tho punishment fit the H
crime of ovon a transient hesitation. H
If tho plumbing combine can tio up ono shop H