LADY ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS.

Minneapolis, Minn.

To the Editor:

It has been some time since I have called on you and have been taken to task for not writing, but as Mr. Pierce met with an accident in November, and I took it upon myself to join the working force, I have not had much time to visit, as much as I like to quarrel.

No. 1 is still in the ring. We have just had our first picnic for 1917. We held this one at Minnehaha Falls, where the kiddies could have a good time and we could have hot coffee, and it is perfectly superfluous to say we had a "perfectly lovely time." There isn't anything or any place that quite equals "the falls" when everything is considered. The Zoo is located there, though not all the wild animals of the "Twin Cities" have been caught yet. The State Soldiers' Home is at one end of the park, just where Minnehaha Creek empties into the old Mississippi. Its grounds are beautifully kept, and just beyond, only a short walk away, Fort Snelling is situated, and just now is the busiest place in the State with its preparations for war. No. 1 will hold its first meeting in series 8 this month, and we have applications for four new members.

Last summer, in one of the issues of the Journal, Brother McAllister gave as a reason for Philadelphia not organizing that the homes were too far apart-the membership too scattered. Well, brother, it doesn't seem too far for the men, and I am sure the women are just as good travelers as the men are. Our club is made up of both St. Paul and Minneapolis women, and while I know this is a very small burg compared with Phila

delphia, you must admit that we have to go a little ways to "arrive" any way; but that is just the trouble. The unions do not encourage the organizing of any auxiliary, and the women still are under the old rule, to a certain extent, that the man is the head of the house, and we hate to do anything that does not meet with hubby's heartiest approval.

If the women were urged a little and made to feel that it was worth while there would be more of it. I speak from experience. When No. 1 first organized we were treated like a huge joke and given two years as the limit of our existence, but we knew they were from Missouri and we-well, have we shown them?

I am glad to hear that No. 8 has an organization of its ladies. Now, Mr. Schneider, get busy and give them their number. I do not see that it is necessary at this early stage that our purposes should be the same as long as they are beneficial to the ones most interested.

I want to ask, through the columns of the Journal, the address of Mrs. H. H. Hughes, of Atlanta. In the excitement of the past year I've lost it, and as she wrote such lovely letters I can't afford to miss them.

We have lost a couple of our members. One of them-Mrs. McMunnhas gone to Pittsburgh to join her husband, who has been working there since last October.

The work here seems to be fairly good just at the present time, but has been very much on the hit-or-miss order for some time past.

Well, I must ring off for this time.
Fraternally,

Local No. 1.

MRS. FRED PIERCE.

NEW YORK.

To the Editor:

Please accept our thanks for the splendid article, entitled "Duncan to Russia." It is what we need at the present moment, and should arouse in us the spirit of emulation to do our part, as members of organized labor, in the great world problems which are confronting us to-day.

The choice of a labor representative by our President is a frank acknowledgment of the assistance which we can render, and is also a splendid tribute to the sterling character of James Duncan.

We understand that the object of the commission to Russia is to explain to the soldiers and workmen, through certain representative men, our Government's purpose in entering the war and to assist the newly formed republic by advice and operation in every way possible.

CO

The chairman of the commission, Mr. Elihu Root, is one of our most brilliant statesmen. Honors have been showered upon him to an almost unlimited extent-Secretary of War under President McKinley; Secretary of State, 1905-1909; United States Senator for the term of 1909-1915, and Chief Counsel for the United States before the Permanent Arbitration Court in 1910..

Another member of the commission is Mr. Charles Edward Russell, a Socialist who puts America first. He was forced out of the American Socialist Party because he would not surrender the convictions of a patriot as demanded by the German wing under the domination of Morris Hillquit.

With these and several other representative men is our own James Duncan, and still the Socialists are not satisfied. As usual, they are doing all that they possibly can against the Government, as represented by this commission.

President Gompers, here at home.

is left to fight alone against the persistent and treasonable effort now under way to destroy the work of the commission; to make its efforts fruitless and divert its aim is the object of these Socialist troublemakers, and if they are successful it will be a serious blow to democracy in Russia and our Government as well. It should be considered as treason and not passed over as the vaporings of a few fanatics of pacifistic activities. We know this Socialistic breed, and a tough gang they are.

They have done all they could to prejudice the Russian mind against the men composing the commission. They have claimed that James Duncan is not a true representative of American labor. All this despite the fact that he has been appointed by the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor and by the union of which he is president.

President Gompers well said in his cable message to the Executive Committee of the Council of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates: "The Kaiser's agents in New York, as well as in Russia, carry on a campaign of misrepresentation and vilification." The Kaiser's agents, here referred to, are the German Socialists and pacifists of other persuasions. Their purpose is

to thwart the efforts of the American Government to come to a more perfect understanding with its Russian ally and friend. Germany will be the beneficiary of this Hillquit, Berger and Lee conspiracy.

Suppose we learn a few facts in reference to this pro-German Socialist Hillquit, the leader of those who objected to James Duncan being received by the Russians as a representative American workman. Hillquit is often referred to as the Socialist boss of America, a very able and plausible lawyer. He is one of the most outspoken pacifists of the "red" wing of his party. He believes, because he wants to believe it, that America is pro-German at heart and longs to tell the Russian nation how we love the Germans-not the German people, but

Kaiser.

that colossal egotist, the Some day the cheap absurdity, the stupid vanity of kings and emperors will disappear forever. To Hillquit's mind, anything that he desires is right in morals and law; opposition of any kind is ridiculous. He wants what he wants when he wants it! Bang anybody and everything if in the mood to do so. A splendid world this will be when everybody is a law unto himself only. It was this lover of the divinely appointed Kaiser, this believer in "direct" measures who, a few years ago in Congress, when a naval appropriation was under discussion, made a speech saying that it would be a good plan to take the big guns of the navy and train them on the landlords -the landlords at that moment being the special kind of “capitalist" against whom his benighted soul rebelled. He could and would have used the same words in reference to labor unions if they had been under discussion. But, after all, why trouble ourselves about Hillquit and his folowers. The State Department has quieted him for a little time at least.

Let us return to our subjectJames Duncan-who may be at this very moment laying down in sturdy kitchen English, real old-fashioned American principles to a lot of frowzy, long-haired dreamers who have just awakened from a sleep so deep that nothing less than the trumpet call of a new national life could arouse. They have just slipped out from underneath a weight of despotism too terrible to think of without a shudder, and, of course, they go to extremes. They have been in a cavern called oppression so long that they are liberty mad and long for its blessings. They will learn in time that liberty is not the absence of restraint; enough for them to know, however, that they are free from the hated domination of a czar. They have experienced in the past so much of restraint and compulsion that they blindly refuse all restraint and compulsion. They suppose that individual caprice or passion is freedom.

This is only a counterfeit of real freedom, as they, poor souls, will soon learn if they already have not done so.

Any one who has come through the struggles and earthquakes of the American labor movement, as James Duncan has done, will feel at home and confidently sure of the successful outcome of the impending scrap, however rough and threatening his auditors may be.

As stated, Duncan has been seen to smile in victory and in defeat, but Duncan himself has never been defeated; no man is who steadfastly refuses to acknowledge defeat. We cannot believe that he was a two-fisted knuckle pusher by instinct. If he ever appeared in that role it was because the job required that kind of a pusher.

Duncan's face is kind, not hard, but firm and interesting. It required a firm character to make any impression upon the master granite cutters of Quincy, Mass. Not only upon the employing cutters, but upon the employed as well. The problem of how to adjust all the conflicting interests that are sure to arise in any organization composed of hard-headed and assertive men, so as to combine the utmost production with the greatest improvement in processes, is one of the most difficult ever undertaken. The problem will not be finished in our time, or for many generations after-possibly never.

Duncan's ability as a financier must be wonderful. To gather and keep, especially to keep, a strike fund of $1,000,000 is marvelous. Duncan's system of keeping money in a union's treasury should be adopted by every trade union in the country. It does take some courage to preach high dues, not much, but some; but to preach economy and caution in the expenditure of money received as dues requires the courage of a martyr and the perseverance of a saint.

One must be a believer in high and constantly increasing high dues; voting money for everything in sight and a great many things not in sight, be

fore he can hope to become popular with his fellows. Duncan must be a genius to resist this ever-present influence.

Of course, the Russian problem did not bother him. In spite of the Socialists, Duncan will stand in front of any raging and frenzied mob as calm and self-possessed as a hero. Dressed like a bank president, and armed fore and aft with guns for defensive purposes only, he will imagine himself at some regular convention of the Granite Cutters' Union.

If we can judge by the news just received from Russia, Duncan is now on the job. The Russians are fighting like heroes and capturing prisoners by the thousands. It did seem as if the Russians were about to call the strike a failure and throw down their arms in despair. Some pro-German, scab roughnecks must have dominated the convention and tried to stampede the whole bunch. Right here Duncan's hopeful and optimistic view of life, joined to his fearless and forceful presentation of the reasons why the strike should be continued, bore fruit, and to-day we see the results.

If Duncan remains in Russia long enough he'll organize the whole blamed Russian army into a labor union; make the soldiers pay dues, high dues, during the remainder of the war and send the money left them to their wives for the purpose of keeping them at home. Duncan knows very well that if the women join the union that will be the end of high dues forever.

We more than suspect that Duncan is a Scotchman; he is so prudent, as well as courageous; steadfast, as well as enterprising, that we instinctively think of him as being of that race referred to by Pitt, who, when Prime Minister, in one of his great speeches said: "I looked for merit and I found it in the wild mountains of the North. I drew it forth, and I called into the ranks a race of brave, hardy, intrepid men, who fought with glory and have conquered in every part of the world."

Russia is about to enter upon a new

experiment in government. Let us hope and pray that it be founded on something more than human wisdom for the enlightenment and guidance of its people in this, their crucial hour.

We have just celebrated our national birthday. Our republic was laid upon the foundation rock of every man's inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It has grown from an ideal to a prac tice. These principles must and shall survive the storm and horror through which we are passing now. The Providence that guided Washington 131 years ago is guiding our President to-day. Let us do all we can in our humble way, as members of organized labor, to hold up his hands in this, his hour of trial. He is waging a magnif cent war in behalf of the imperilled interests of all mankind. Let us not fail to appreciate the majestic privilege of calling ourselves Americans to-day and glory in the magnificent prospects of a still greater future. Let us refuse to aid or sanction any movement that will in any way make more difficult our country's problems. God bless America.

Fraternally submitted,
WILLIAM HAVENSTRITE.

Should a city own an Electric Central Station? This is a question that has been before the public for serious thought for some few years, and there is but one proper answer.

The fundamental principle of city government is that the municipal authorities shall exercise such powers only as are delegated to them by the representatives of the people acting through State legislation, the object of city government being to secure, through corporate action, benefits that cannot be secured by private means.

Municipal capital is taken from the earnings of the people. Those acts of legislatures which authorize the taking of the people's money by mu

nicipal authority, for the purposes of investing it in commercial or productive undertakings, to be managed without a profit, in competition with private enterprises, are not in accord with the well-established principle of a sound political economy.

Profit-making is the object of all industry. When a city enters the business of supplying the material necessities of the people, and conducts the business without designing to make a profit, it destroys all motive for private capital to undertake the same line of business. The logical sequence is that a city must do all the business in the line it undertakes, and do it in perpetuity, or allow capital to do it without competition from the municipality.

Government is an absolute monopoly. If it may monopolize one line of business, it may monopolize all business. For this reason every citizen's interest is deeply touched by the question whether a city should Own an Electric Central Station. Does he want the principle established that a municipality may undertake a business that is essentially commercial and manage it without designing to make a profit in competition with private capital? Is he willing to be taxed to enable a city to secure capital to be used for such a purpose? If this principle is established, where will the line be drawn?

or

If a city's business is managed as well as that of private persons companies (and this condition has yet to be reached in any municipality in our country), whatever it chooses to do can be done at less cost, owing to the elimination of all charges for taxes, interest or profit than is possible for private enterprise. A city operates all it undertakes on the prison labor basis-simply to make the institution self-sustaining; and it has the power to mortgage all the property in the city to make good any deficiency.

Viewed from the standpoint of the interest of the citizen and kept within the limits of a question of policy only,

The fire on our altar of patriotism has been burning low for some time, but now, in this crisis of our country, all this latent fire has burst again into flame. A concrete evidence of this fact is demonstrated by the splendid manner in which Philadelphia responded to the appeal for subscriptions for the National Liberty Bonds. Three hundred million was her allotment, and this much was taken and $100,000,000 more for good measure. The Red Cross Society made an appeal for $3,000,000. This was our share, and we contributed $200,000 above this amount-$1,110,000 was given in one day. The Young Men's Christian Association asked for voluntary contributions of $300,000 to assist in caring for any of Uncle Sam's boys who came from their homes out of town until they passed the necessary examinations of the recruiting officers. This was also very willingly given.

Local No. 5, as an organization, purchased $3,000 worth of bonds, and the individual members bought approximately $5,000 worth.

We have a parade of some kind every day, which gives this city a very martial appearance, but the most impressive of all our demonstrations so far was the Red Cross parade, in which Over 4,000 noble women marched, garbed in white, with the insignia of their calling the Red Cross on their arms and caps. Many a manly tear was shed as these heroic women showed their willingness to sacrifice their homes and comforts, and even their lives, to assist our boys who may fall in the fray.

True to her tradition, Philadelphia is extending to the soldiery in general a welcome. Her people are tak