ALD. BERGEN PICKS LOSING ISSUE, P. O. MEN
SAY ALD. BLOCK LAMBASTS FISHER
Automatic telephone deal is before
council gas-oil committee this after
noon. Aid. Sitts, chairman, said he
expected committee would finish
draft of an ordinance to go into coun
cil next Monday night. It would then
lay over one week and come to a
council vote showing how aldermen
line up for and against the billion
dollar American Telephone & Tele
graph Co!
On the showdown vote, the Public
Ownership league will watch the vote.
Whether the phone trust gobbles the
Automatic system or not, every al
derman who votes with the phone
trust will have the Public Ownership
league and organized labor against
him in coming campaigns.
Henry P. Bergen, floor leader of the
Sullivan Democrats, has favored
quick action of the phone deal. He
is for the sale and against forfeiture.
Primaries are soon here. In the last
election, Bergen got by with only
three votes more than his rival, Ed-,
ward S. Hales. Street car men are
already alomst unitedly opposed to
Bergen because he voted against a
wage raise for carmen in the unifica
tion ordinances. About 1,000 voting
street car men live in Bergen's ward.
These on top of the public ownership
crowd and other union men will form
an opposition which will try to put
Bergen's career in politics on the
blink.
"I am against the phone trust and
I am with those who are trying to
get a penny-a-call phone service in
Chicago," said Aid. Eugene Block to
day. "I have had experience with Walter
L. Fisher. His endorsement of the
proposed ordinance doesn't count
with me. He is the same Walter Fish
er who in 1907 promised seats for
everybody immediately and munici
pal ownership in 1927. Instead of
seats for everybody we haven't even
straps for all straphangers. And mu
nicipal ownership is an iridescent
dream that will not be realized in a
thousand milleniums if the city is to
purchase car lines on the basis of the
bookkeeping of the present board of
supervising engineers.
"The fact that Walter L. Fisher is
the attorney for the board of super
vising engineers at a salary of $15,
000 a year and is acceptable to the
big public utility companies would
lead any clear-headed citizens to ask
some questions before taking the
word of Fisher on a telephone deal."
George F. Harding, former state
senator, political co-worker of Sam
Ettelson, former attorney for the
Automatic Phone Co., has been hold
ing many confidential talks with al
dermen in council chamber lobbies
lately.
Aid. Rodriguez and Wjlliam A. Cun
nea will speak on the phone grab in
Schley school, Oakley blvd. and Po
tomac av., Froday night.
r O O
AVIATORS EXCHANGE BOMBS
DRAFT BILL SIGNED
London. 14 French aviators bom
garded Bulgarian encampments at
Petris yesterday in retaliation for the
Zeppelin . raid on Salonika. Capture
of German aeroplane and its pilot by
French airmen was also reported.
Field Marshal Von Mackensen,
Gen. Von Gallwitz, Czar Ferdinand,
Bulgarian Crown Prince Boris and
Gen. Jekoff have arrived at Greek
front. Believed attack against Sa
lonika is about to begin.
New York. German submarines
have sunk 59 allied ships of aggre
gate tonnage of 215,159 in Mediter
ranean since Balkan campaign began.
London. Survivors of the British
steamer Woodfield, sunk by subma
rine off Moroccan coast, arrived here
today with story of bloody fight with
the U boat's crew.
Submarine, one of newest and the
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