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Show I STRONG SPEECH i OF JUDGE DUNNE i 1 i f: I IJcwly-Elected Mayor of Chicago I Visits Kew-York. : WARM WELCOME EXTENDED ADDRESS ON MUNICIPAL OWNER-I OWNER-I SHIP. J New York. April ". Fresh from his I triumph he recent municipal eloc- ition, Edward K. Dunne, mayor-elect of Chicago, tonight addressed a large mooting in Cooper Union under the auspices of the Municipal Ownership League of New York City. He told how he expected to carry out his pledges made in hit; recent campaign in Chicago to attain municipal ownership; owner-ship; of the benefit, as he conceived ih'-m, of city "control of public utilities, utili-ties, and closed vith congratulations to the local league on being pioneers In Ihe movement in New York. Ilia peerh was enthusiastically received. Recent agitation In f'fw York for municipal ownership added interest to Judge Dunne's utterance. James Graham Gra-ham Phelps Stol!e. vie president of the lairue, presided. Judge Dunne" faid in rart: Judge Dunne's Address. "Men of the East: We bring you tidings tid-ings of great joy from the men of the west. The exploitation of public i properly by private capital, with its attendant greed, extortion and corruption, cor-ruption, has had in day in American cities, but that day is about to end. Next Monday Chicago starts upon her mission of dislodsing private capital from the control of our street car system. sys-tem. She has succeeded in the operation opera-tion of her waterworks system, in pay-log pay-log frime $38,000,000 for its equipment; v rus lent $5,000,000 from that depart ment to the newer system; Is today giving the cheapest water of probably j sny city in America, and has a cash nurplus of nearly $1,000,000. She has so managed her electric light plant that she has reduced the cost of arc lamps from $125 to about $o4 per an-. an-. num. She is operating both departments depart-ments as well as her police, fire and I educational department, without can-dul, can-dul, graft or corruption, besides cheapening cheap-ening the cost of utilities furnished to the public. She will have the ame record of success in relation to her ftreet car system. Great Saving Effected. "The citizens of Chicago have baen educated up to the fact that a municipality mu-nicipality can operate any of the public pub-lic utilities with much greater satisfaction satis-faction to the people than can the same utilities be operated by private capitalists. capi-talists. They have learned wjierever a city in any portion of the civilized world lias taken over the operation of its waterworks, gas plant, electric light plant or Ftreet railway system that "In every case, when fairly tried, the coft of this utility to the public has bvn reduced, the wages of the rnn who operate them increased, the lay reduced and more efficient uervic I rendered. I Objections Disposed of. I "Th only two serious objections I raised during the recent struggle in ; Chicago 8gaint public ownership of ? the public utilities are: I "First, that it would tend to build 1 up a creat political machine. None of I the friends of municipal ownership In j t Chicago or elsewhere advocate the own- 1 ership and operation of any utility by I municipalities unless in connection I therewith there is a civil service law I under which all applicants for posi- I lions, irrespective of politics, will be I treated exactly alike, and under which jiif-t and reasonable tests will be ap- I plied to public- servant? to ascertain I iheir fitness to perform the work en- tailed upon them. We have such a "J 1w in the city of Chicago, under which I for eevernl years past it has been al- I most impossible for any man to place I n friend upon the police, fire or water I department. I Money Easily Raised. "The only other serious objection ursd in Chicago was that the municipality munici-pality had no. money. There- i no force whatever In the objection. The operation of tbse utilities', either by I public or private persons, is a valu- able privilege. We propose to raise all j the money neressary to purchase an I up-to-date street car system upon cer- ! lifi'-ates which are special or limited J proniifeu to pay out of the income col- I lerted from the system. ! "The operation of public utilities by j municipalities is no untried theory, j Wherever a. municipality has taken J over a public utility, as to this utility J corruption and bribrry cease. There j is no motive for the corruption of an ldcrmn in case of a utility operated I by the public. !Old Charge Exploded, "If good results have been secured in the cities of Europe and Australia, 8 why cannot they be secured in the eit- Iics of New York and Chicago. aiirj the other cities- of America? The men or parties who charge the citizens of Chi- I capo or of New York with being so ' I - j Inefficient, incapable r dishonest as 1 j to be imablo to own and operate tluir I own. utilities, frame an Indictment J ! against the citizci3 of these communl- I ties which our people will answer at j the polls with the - verdict of 'Not I guilty.' I "The movement In favor of munici- pal ownership of all public utilities has I taken deep rout among the intelligent j people of thin country. It is no passing fcotitimci'it. It is here to stay. Muuici- I pal ownership and operation of these j utilities, and governmental ownership j of railways, telegraphs and ;pres I transportation is a practical question upon which the people must pass wilh- I in a very short time, and the poli- J ticjans and parties who ignore this sen- f limcjit must be prepared for a short- lived career before the people. I , No Fear of Result. "We in Chicago have no fears as to the Jesuits ..f municipal ownership. We are confident that the will of the people can be carried into effect, and j that, loo, without the imposition of a single dollar's worth or taxes; and ve say to you men of New Yi n that you can, by the exercise of the sauv d'tejinination, bring about municipal ownership in your city of any puhllr utility that you may desire furnished by the people of your city without an ( increase of taxation upon your citi- i yens. I "I ongratulMe the Municipal Ovwi-j erhin Association of New York, audi the men who now surround me upon ' this stupe, and In this audience, upon I being pioneers' in this morfment n ' the city of New Tork. and I hope that fis great a success will sttend your efforts as have attended the efforts of the people of Chicago." I i 1 |
