Indianapolis Times, Volume 36, Number 98, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 September 1924 — Page 10

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JOHN L LEWIS PAYS TRIBUTE TO MEN WHO TOIL President of Mine Workers Says Progress Is Due to Labor, By JOHN L. LEWIS. President United Mine Workers of America As long- as men toil'for their daily I bread there ■will be a Labor day in America. One day will be set apart from all the others in honor of labor. There will always be a day when the toilers may lay aside their tasks and renew their loyalty to the undying principles upon which the American labor movement is founded. And it is well that it is so. • It Is right that the American public should pause one day in the vear and celebrate over the fact that in this great country labor is free, that labor is noble, that labor is dignified, j that labor is honorable. Built by Toilers This splendid Nation was built by the hands and the brains of those who toiled over their duties in the moulding of American society and civilization It was due to the labor of those pioneers that the waste places were cleared and made to j bloom' in the sunlight. Labor is responsible for all of the development that has taken place in America. All progress hs come : from the hands of labor. Why j should we not all be proud that we are counted among the laborers of the land when labor has accorn plished so much? And why should we not all he proud that we are numbered among the hosts that have organized them selves into the great American labor movement which means so much to those who toil? Millions have banded themselves together for mutual protection and mutual good. That's j what the labor movement means We who are within the folds of this I movement realize the benefits that , come from our association. Duty to Help Others Only those who refuse this boon or those who are arrogantly de prived of the right to join are the losers Labor Day should remind us all it Is our moral duty to help our brother toilers by bringing them under the banner of the labor movement. On this Labor Day let us renew our determination to spread the light of trade unionism into all the land and to all the people and to carry the torch forward until its light is made to shine in the hearts of all men Complete organization of labor in America is and should be the aim of the trade union movement. None should falter, none should hesitate, none should fail until this task of 100 per cent organization is an accomplished fact. Nothing less will do. WOMAN KILLED IN CRASH Two Others Seriously Hurt When Auto and Bus Collide. By Timm JUpecial TERRE HAUTE. Ind., Sept. 1 Mrs. Julian Van Proyen. 45. is dead and Albert Fisher. 36. is suffering from serious injuries today as result of a collision hetxveen the car In which they were riding and a Terre Hautc-Clinton bus. Melvin Dooley, bus passenger, was also seriously hurt. Riot at Gary Church By Time* Bperial GARY, Ind., Sept. I.—Election of officers didn’t suit some members of the Roumanian Greek Orthodox Church and a. riot resulted. Nine were arrested-

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MY OWN STORY RAILROADS PROSPER UNDER REGULATION OF COMMISSION — By ROBERT M. LA FOLLETTE

MY OWN' STORY - ’ is an exclusive newspaper version of one of the great autobiographies of mor'ern rimes: La Follette s own story of adventures in polities as written by himself in 1912. together with an authorized narrative of his experiences in the years since then. SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS After two defeats as Progressive candidate for Governor of Wisconsin. La Follette is overwhelmingly nominated and elected in 1900. The political bosses buck the administration program at every turn. In the campaign of 1904 the machine men organized a bolt and ,-arr.v the validity of the regular convention into the Supreme Court, which upholds the Progressives. La Follette sets out on a whirlwind speaking tour throughout Wisconsin in an effort to obtain a Progresive Legislature. He himself is re-elected by about 50.000. and the direct primary law. for which he also campaigned, carries by about the same majority. Now Colonel Bryan addresses a joint session of the Legislature. I had Bryan's speech taken down hv a stenographer and circulated it widely in Democratic districts, thus starting a backfire on the Demo cratic legislators who were doubtful. The result justified the effort. It aided us materially, and when the bill came up for the final vote it was passed unanimously. I have always felt grateful to Colonel Bryan for help given us in Wisconsin. It showed that his interest in principles was truly uppermost. I first met Bryan near the close of the last session of the forty-ninth Congress. I had been defeated and was going out; he had just been elected and was coming in. He was a tall, slender, handsome fellow who looked like a young divine. Since then -I have met him very often, and have come to feel a strong personal attachment for him. He helped us often during our long fight in Wisconsin when the Democratic machine as weli as the Republican machine was opposing the things we stood for. He helped us in The Commoner with his support of our campaign for direct primaries. I have brought audiences to their feet by quoting Bryan or by reading from The Commoner his words approving our measures. In the campaign of 1902 efforts were made to get him to come into Wisconsin to speak in behalf of the Democratic ticket. I knew he did not come. I did not know why until the next summer, when I went to Lincoln. Neb., to speak at the Epworth League State assembly. I was resting in my room in the afternoon when there came a knock at my door and Bryan entered. I had not s°en him for years During our conversation he told me that he could not hear m speak that evening as he wanted to. because he had a convention on his hands. Bryan Helps "But,” he said, "I am tremendously interested in what you are doing in Wisconsin and I want to see you succeed. It is more important in its example to the country than any triumph of the Democratic party in that State. I want to see you get a State primary. I want to see you carry out your taxation propositions. “I want to see you win out in your contest with the corporations.” and he went on. "I have been supporting your cause in The Commoner, and as long os you are advocating. I shall continue to support you. "In the last campaign the Democrats tried very hard to get me to come into the State to speak, but I would not do it because I did not want, to aid in solidifying the Democratic party against your work there.” There was a strong minority In the Democratic party, all through our contests, which favored direct primaries, railroad and other corporate taxation, the regulation of railway rates and services, and prac- | tically every reform measure incorporated in the Republican State platform. As soon as the Legislature passe*! ! our railroad regulation ’aw I appointed the three commissioners. I had contended all along for an ap-

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MRS. LA FOLLETTE TALKS IN THE INTEREST OF HER HUSBAND'S CANDIDACY.

pointive rather than an elective com- ] mission. I felt the state should have the ! best experts in the country in these positions, whether residents of Wis- 1 consin or not. for much would de- j pend upon the way in which our new law was administered. I tried to persuade Commissioner Prouly of the Interstate Commerce Commission to come to Wisconsin, organize our commission, and take the chairmanship, hut failing in that. I turned at once to the head of the transportation department of the University of Wisconsin. B. H. Meyer. The commission proceeded with wisdom. Though under great pres \ sure at first, it refused to consider complaints until it had laid a broad foundattlon of scientific knowledge. Expert engineers and contractors were employed and many months were spent in making a physical valuation of all railroad property in the State. This is the logical first step if you are going to fix rates. It then became necessary to determine the actual cost of maintenance and operation—a very difficult matter in our case—because the railroads of Wisconsin are parts of great systems. When all this immense work was done, the commission had the wisdom and foresight to submit Its findings to the railroa4 officials, who went over them and approved them. This prevented disputes in the future, upon fundamental facts. Data Gatlvered Having all this data, the commissioners began to entertain complaints, and to fix rates upon a basis which they knew positively was fair to the public and fair to the railroads. They so reduced transportation charges as to effect a saving of over $2,000,000 per year to the people of the State-—just as a beginning. All through our fight for railroad control the lobbyists made the most mournful prophecies of disaster, they predicted that capital would fly from the State, that new construction would stop, that equipment would deteriorate, and so on and so on. What were the facts? The object of our legislation was not to “smash” corporations, but to drive them out of politics, and then to treat them exactly the same as other people are treated. Equality under the law was our guiding star. The Railroad commission keeps accurate account of all the business of every railroad and public utility in

The Indianapolis Times

the State. It has jurisdiction over property whose total value amounts to 145.0000,000. The books are kept exactly as the commission orders them to be kept. These accounts show that while during the first five years of its ex istence the commission reduced rates j by more than $2,000,000 a year, the net earnings of the railroads of Wisconsin increased relatively just a little more than the net earnings for all railways In the United States. The increase in Wisconsin was 15:45 per cent, and in the United States it. was 15.41 per cent. How did this come about? Simply from the fact that the decrease in rates for freight and passengers was followed by an enormous increase in the amount of freight and number of passengers carried. Much of what the railroads lost In the reduction of open rates that everybody shares they recovered by being compelled to abolish free passes and secret cut rates that went only to insiders and grafters. The special examiners appointed in 1903 uncovered $5,992,731.5$ as Wisconsin’s share of rebates paid by twelve roads during the six years IS9S to 1903. By stopping rebates alone the railroads have gained at least $1.000,"00 a year toward offsetting $2,000. >OO they lost by reduction of rates. They must also have gained largely by the stoppage of political contributions and expenses. Nor did progressive legislation stop new construction; During the years 1903 to 1909 the railroads in vested in new construction In Wisconsin an amount estimated by the Railroad Commission at $39,000,000, an Increase of 15 per cent over 1903 This is not a fictitious .Increase in

Falling Hair, Dandruff and Itching Scalp Cause Baldness /" We stop these forerunners of £BALDNESS and give a WRITIpßpp 1 TEN GUARANTEE that we will J regrow your hair if we accept Come in for FREE EXAMINATION THE THOMAS SYSTEM A Nation-Wide Institution. Mens Hair Specialists 509 State Life Building TREATMENT AT OFFICE ONLY Hou^s —Tues., Thurs., Sat., 10 to 5:30 Mon., Wed. and Fri., 10 to 8:30

MONEY TO LOAN ON CITY PROPERTY The State Savings & Trust Cos: 9 East Market Street

My Policy Makes Both Ends Meet Highest quality—lowest prices—whichever you want from a funeral director, I give both. By giving both ends together you make ends meet. Visit my display rooms and compare my prices. JOHN F. REYNOLDS “Leader In sensible prices"' Main 0439 950 N. Pe.in. St.

capitalization. It Is actual cash paid out for new road and equipment. A cash Investment by railroads of $6,500,000 a year for six years of progressive legislation refuted their prophecies of disaster. Other public utilities besides railroads “were not brought under the control of the Railroad Commission until 1907, and it.was not until 1909 that the commission was table to get the.ir accounts into such shape as to be reliable. But nor the year 1910, compared with 1909, notwithstanding reductions in rates and improvements in service', the water utilities increased their net earnings 7.1 per cent, the telephone utilities 7.1 per cent, gas utilities 7.4 per cent, and electric utilities 25 per cent. These utilities even exceeded the railroads in the rate at which they made cash investments for new' construction. A single example will show how these different results have been brought about. In April. 1910. after two years of careful investigation, the railroad commission, after improving the quality of service, reduced the maximum price of electricity in the city of Madison from 16 cents to 14 cents per kilowatthour, and adjusted the other rates on a lower basis. The result was that the sales of

A Puzzle a Day

-3 4 5 * * • * * * • • * * •*7 6 * In the above multiplication, the stars represent figures which have been erased. The number 345 was multiplied by a number of two figures to produce a number of five figures of which only the figures 7 and 6 remain, as shown. Can you supply the missing figures? Answer to Previous Puzzle

? _ X* X i ? O 2 Oi X3 I The first player in the game of Tlt-Tat-Toe” made h;s play in the center square. XI If the second player marks square 01. h is certain to lose, if the first player knows the system The first player marks section X 2; the second man must mark 02 to avert defeat; then the first player fills X3, and the game is decided. For the second playet can only mark one of the two sec tions containing the question marks and the first player will immediately fill the other and win'

PANTS To Match Your Coat Ray PANTS Store 16 West Ohio

electricity increased i'6 per cent, the net earnings increased 24 per cent and the saving to consumers, comparing old rates with new rates, was $18,308 a year. At the end of another fifteen months. In July, 1911, after such an increase in profits following the reduction In rates, the company accepted without profit another reduction to 12 cents. No additional Investigation was necessary, because the books of the company had been kept in the way prescribed by the commission, so as to show' every item of expense, Income and investment. Supervision by the State com mission proved of great benefit to the private corporation itself. (Copyright, 1924, NEA Service, Inc.) (Continued in Our Next Issue) Possession of Car Probed Albert Merrill and Cecil Baehr, both of Columbus, Ohio, are held on vagrancy charges today after it is charged they tried to sell anew Ford j car to George A. Fink, 1435 Marlowe ; Ave., and Eugene Thale, 1430 E. j Ohio St., at the latter address. The j men offered to sell the car first at | S3OO and later for $lO, police say. j

AT THE SHOE MARKET Scorn o! : Othar Shoe Bargains Shoion Hare

JUST ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF THE HIGH EXPENSE DISTRICT r: .r The Shoe Market ">r, OPEN SATURDAY EVENING UNTIL 9:30

Experience is a good teacher —but. sometimes the lessons seem rather harsh. Coal may not be scarce next winter —but NOW is a good time to buy your coal! Deliveries are prompt; prices are reasonable. Several coal companies are making attractive prices for IMMEDIATE orders. Turn now to the COAL AND ’ WOOD FOR SALE CLASSIFICATION on the WANT AD page. Read and Use the Want Ads THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES * In Our New Building 214 W. Maryland St. MAin 3500

Instead of Yielding to the Temptation to buy that which is not absolutely necessary—stop and consider this— We Pay The money you SPEND earns interest for somebody else; the money you y| 1 / SAVE earns interest for YOU. l£* /\J Ts you have been building a hank account for the “other fellow,” why not try building one for yourself. Savings ji ow starting today. Regular deposits is the sure way to inde--pendence. Meyer-Kiser Bank 128 East Washington Street

MOXDAY, SEPT. 1, 1924.