Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-01-06 | Page 20 | Would Take over Street Railways

WOULD TAKE OVER STREET RAILWAYS Progressive Forces in Massachusetts Start Agitation for Public Ownership. By International News Service. BOSTON, Jnn. 5. The Progressive forces in the Massachusetts legislature have decided to make a determined fight for public ownership of the street railways. rail-ways. A bill providing for a popular referendum referen-dum on the question of state ownership was filed today by the Massachusetts state branch of the American Federation of Labor. The question will be submitted under the provisions of the bill at the next state election. If a majority of the people voted for public ownership, the legislature legisla-ture would take the street railways In 1920, paving the stockholders a reasonable reason-able price, and would operate them for the general public good. Representative Frank A. Manning of Brockton, for the past three years one of the most active advocates of state ownership, submitted a bill providing for immediate ownership without waiting for submission of the matter to a popular vote.