Show Economist Says Utilities Meddling In Politics Has Adverse National Effect Special D BADSON PARK Mass ss Sept 24 Hoger Roger V W Babson Dabson today discussed the Ole public utilities situation with to our own QUI Our public utilities have hav lic n very vury clean and havo kept their hands oft off from political There is III 1 something In his ti t riming however r which should b 1 be bet e t lIel headed ed ILLINOIS POLITICS The senatorial com com- come corn com I e tin ling ot of heed and I King has hag just completed Its lis work and will soon publish Its 1111 printed r report It Is III true truo that no such i gums have been uncovered In con con- with the Illinois senatorial as existed in the case of oC o the th 1 I Ii senatorial right fight where millions were spent Never Never- ever conditions exist In Illinois which are arc very cry disheartening At Atthe Atthe Althe the present time the committee has unco ered about which was wall spent In connection with the thes s primaries In Illinois The amounts ts s spent tnt for or each candidate aro ap approximately as follows Frank trank L Smith William B D McKinley Dineen county ticket rowe Darrett ticket George E Brennan If U the he United StaL States Stales s ot of America l p 10 be a success and It if we are to old avoid such a 11 turnover as all Russia Hussla has experienced we wo must get away from such expensive primary elec elec- elections elections Nothing will so radi- radi radio radl-c radl o 11 as the tho feeling that only a wealthy man can be elected to or- or tica ot-tica fico or 01 that the vested ested and capital capitol capitalistic capitalistic Interests or of o the country con con- control control con control elections Every business man and Investor is anxious to old avoid any such disasters as have wrecked Russia and are arc now threatening other European countries Fur Fur- Furthermore Furthermore Furthermore we wo do not wish Ish to turn In tills this count country to any such solution solution tion as has hag been resorted to In Italy Spain and other countries namely the use uso ot of o a a dictator In order to avoid such catastrophes however it Is absolutely necessary to have ha a primary election where an honest poor man has a chance and where money Is not the con con- controlling controlling con controlling trolling factor PUBLIC UTILITY CONTRIBUTION CONTRIBUTION TION My ry purpose is not to discuss the question In Its lis broad sense but rather In Its relation to public util- util utilIties util utilities The troubles trouble which the rail rail- railroads railroads rail railroads roads suffered for tor a period ot of o 20 years started with their meddling Into politics The politicians later m meddling with lIh the railroads was merely a reaction of ot the railroads meddling with the politicians It Hmay may temporarily be safe sata for a 11 cor- cor corporation corporation cor corporation to be in politics when it itis I is betting on the winner but when it bets on the loser which it ul- ul ultimately ul ultimately always ays does there there follow great difficulties The street railways railway were smirched with political graft gratt con con- contributions contributions etc and they reaped a tremendous amount of ot trouble Learning the tho lepson lefSon 1 om the railroads and street rail railways ways as most power and light com com- companies companies have thus tar far kept them them- themselves selves very vety clean and have refused to get mixed up into local politics Instead ot of spending money on lo- lo local lo 10 local cal politicians they have o have spent mone money on selling customer owner- owner hip hip stock which has been a far Car better policy polley It Is understood that the above mentioned senatorial reo re report port will show that the public util- util uLli of oC Cook county ii un un- un unfortunately unfortunately fortunately has mado made a II great grel take The following aro are as contributing to Smiths Smith's C vain vain- cam ll I Samuel San Insull Insult II lu luIra Ira C Copley 0 Clement Studebaker 2000 O OO Alien Allen F Moore Smith manager Frank 1 L I- I Smith himself Daniel Schuyler Insull Insult lawyer 2600 Julius Johnson of ot Illinois commission i i From oher sources 2500 2501 Tool Teal The companies controlled by these men practically Jy dominate their field In Illinois Mr Insull Is head ot of the Commonwealth Ed Ed- Ed EdIson EdIson Ison Illon company which furnishes elee clec- clec for tor the city of oC Chicago the th peoples people's Gas R Coke company compan which owns the gas monopoly of oC Chicago and the elevated railways which furnish the only rapid tron tran- transit sit ot of o the tha city with the exception ot of the tho steam roads The Tho Northern Public Utilities and the he Central 11 Il- Il Public Service companies are ar also Insull properties Copley and Studebaker aro are also deeply In- In Involved in involved in public utilities Frank L L L Smith was running against Senator McI McKinley In the recent primary In which Senator McKinley was defeated Some time ago It Is reported Senator McKin- McKin McKinley ley sold his public utilities proper proper- properties properties ties to Clement Studebaker a man whoso whose name appears In the above above- abovementioned mentioned above mentioned list This would ac- ac account account ac account count for Studebaker's connection with the McKinley fight Samuel Insull who Rho is probably the great great- greatest greatest est cst public utility operator In the world also has hos doubtless good rea rea- rea reasons sons rea-sons sons for Cor making his contributions I criticise none nono ot of these men per per- personally personally personally for I might have done dono the same thins thing under the same circum circum- circumstances circumstances stances I merely emphasize emphasise the fact that over 01 two-thirds two of ot the contributions on both sides of ot f this campaign camo came from Crom people inter Inter- Interested interested interested ested In public utilities of ot its effect on the future ot of democracy I say it Is very danger danger- dangerous dangerous ous tor for public utility Investors PROPERTIES The company under the control ot of Clement Studebaker is the Illinois 1111 Illi- I nois Power Light corporation I which Includes very valuable pow pow- power er eI and light plants street railway companies in various cities and nearly a a thousand mlles mites of ot Interurban Interurban ban ban lines In th central part ot of o Illi- Illi Illinois I nois no Is with assets running Into many millions ot of dollars The other member of ot the trio Ira C Copley of Aurora controls the utilities that I serve the Fox river valley The population of ot Illinois 11 Is II II a littlemore little littlemore littlemore more than and the com companies coma I panics that these men represent have han a II monopoly in their field upon I the service of ot more than ot of this population The sinister tact fact about all this is that Colonel Frank L L Smith nominated at the Republican primaries for tor or United States senator Is la chairman of ot the Illinois commerce commission which has supervision ot of the pUblic utilities controlled by tho the three utility magnates Mr Insull apparently contrib contrib- contributed contributed funds to George Drennan Brennan Democratic aspirant to the tho sen sen- sen ator and the Deneen and Crol Crowe-Barrett Crowe e-Darrett e factions ot of the Re Republican publican party porty In Chicago Seri Seri- Senator Sen Senator ator Reed In commenting upon this remarked This Thill public utility giver played to land on both feet Ceet The American people have always suspected campaign givers Ivers who were generous with money to all aIL parties When Jay Gould did this sort ot of thing more than 30 year year ago ago the practice was denounced as corrupting and demoralizing The Tho Illinois commerce commission ought to be bo interested in the ex ol of utilities which It su supervises How can Colonel Smith initiate Investigations when he him him- himself him self Is the tho chief beneficiary ot of the money spent In campaign contributions lions In order that readers may not think that I am ant prejudiced In Inthis inthis Inthis this matter mailer let me call attention to the following language used by hy the grand rand jury Evidence of ot gross and flagrant violations ot of o the tha election law have ave been produced before etore us usand usand usand and It appears that In some ot of o the wards ot of Chicago the right of ot fran fran- franchise franchise franchise chise has almost been lost because ju judges and nd clerks of ot elections no count of ot the votes otell cast and made official returns return without reference to the votes cast EFFECT ON OX NATIONAL effect In view of o the unfortunate ef- ef ef this la is bound to have on the nation as a II whole and public ties In tn general I must call atten attention Is lion tion to the tho real rea root of ot the trouble This Is that no kind ol ot legislation will make snake people honest We hailed the primary as a solution of oC our election troubles but the these lie troubles still exist we hailed nailed prohibition as asa asa asa a solution of ot the liquor problem but the liquor problem still exists and so It goes oes Our per personal onal tn In- In In national and International problems problem II are arc solved only as the hearts heart a of ot people are aro changed It Is true that mon men create values but It must be remembered that souls create men The rhe security for our Investment depends on a pure and stable duble democracy which in turn de upon a righteous people When a public utility or an any other corporation does docs such things as Aa asare asaro are herein related It is undermining n the whole structure so 10 that It may some zomo day tumble and destroy usall usall us all I am often oCten asked what makes the ot business condi condl conditions conditions done which now registers register at 13 per pel cent above o normal go up and down ItIs 1 My first answer is that It Is because thero Is fe a movement In Incheck Incheck Incheck check transactions transaction railroad earn earn- earnings earnings ings crop movement business fail fail- failures fail Call failures ures foreign trade and the various other things which go EO In to make moke makeup makeup up the The Tho truth Is however that these are mere Indi- Indi Indicators Indicators of oC business which have havo no nomore nomore nomore more to do with making business good or bad than has haj a thermometer ter le ter with making the tho tit room hot or cold The movements ot or the tho Bab Bab- Bab are determined by the tho changes in the desires the motives and hearts of ot the people Every 11 I l panic has been due either cither to a II dla dis dis- dis disi I II I i regard of oC the tho Ten Commandments Commandment lor i or the multiplication table Suc Such I acts as a have happened In lu Illinois politics may not only react disastrously t on the public utilities of oC the country but also al o on business as a whole S Coi 1326 1926 Publisher Fi- Fi fi financial I na Bureau |