Of course there is no certain panacea for such a complicated political disorder. And there is no reason to believe that the disorder is confined to the State of New York. Similar symptoms appear about other State capitols. I do not believe that the voters of the country will give up the substance of the direct primary system of controlling nomination to important public office; but I do not see how unity of party purpose and an opportunity for the leadership of deliberation can once more be obtained except by combining some form of a responsible State convention with the direct primary, somewhat as Governor Hughes planned for it ten years ago in the State of New York. As for the intricate system of subtle pressure known as modern lobbying, it ought to be quietly and carefully studied and checked by the legislatures themselves, not by the spectacular investigations and smelling committees calculated to produce an exaggerated and erroneous impression, but in the spirit of doing what is wisest for good government as well as for the various parties in interest who are affected by pending legislation. These parties ought to be given every opportunity, under proper safeguards, to furnish intelligent and accurate information; but the whole unfair practice of subtle, powerful, deceptive pressure ought to be made difficult, if not impossible. The party legislative caucus, now employed chiefly as a means of tying in members upon a proposal which of their own free wills they would not adopt, should give way to the party conference in which a genuine meeting of minds, if one can be procured, follows upon free discussion. Any other sort of meeting of minds for purposes of party unity is not worth having from the standpoint of good government and progress. The old mechanical caucus rule is a form of narrow Prussianism, long out of touch with the underlying spirit of American politics and the American people. Increased salaries to State legislators would, I believe, bring favorable results out of proportion to the additional cost. "Only chicken-feed!" is the comment of the astute Charles F. Murphy upon the stipend of the solons in the State capitol. Reasonably well-paid men would from every point of view become better public servants. It may be, and probably is, more or less of a coincidence that the vast growth of public expenditure in some of our commonwealths has gone on side by side with the deterioration in the system of political control. Anyway, it is becoming rapidly clearer to the relatively wasteful and improvident American people that a thoroughgoing budget system for the municipality and the State, as well as the nation, is vital to a better governmental order. This realization has become acute in proportion as the system of taxation has become dominantly direct rather than indirect. It must be just as true in public as in private enterprise that a way can be found to check the vastly increased governmental expenditures of the last twenty years. If there is no way, then the future of democracy is dark. I have attempted to draw what has been in the main an impressionist picture of the last decade of our politics in New York, and of certain existing defects in our governmental system, not with the purpose of condemning the excellent men with whom I am associated and for whom I have a warm regard, but because I believe that in a better legislative environment their capacity and earnestness would have opportunity to be of greater benefit to the State. Have you ever tried to love your enemies?" "Yes," answered the slow-speaking man. "I have tried. But I never got a real enemy to reciprocate my affections with any degree of reliability."-Washington Star. NEW HUDSON RIVER VEHICULAR TUNNEL Will cost $6,000,000 and be of great value to New York and New BY SENATOR WILLIAM C. DODGE One of the important measures passed by the recent legislature was a bill appropriating $1,000,000 as the first contribution of New York State for the construction of a new vehicular tunnel under the Hudson river between New York city and New Jersey. It is estimated that the tunnel will cost $6,000,000, but the investment is considered a good one on account of the congestion of traffic, an evil which cannot be remedied except by a tube under the river. Senator Dodge, as a New York city business man, was particularly interested in promoting the passage of this bill.- EDITOR. A tunnel was begun; connection was made in 1906; the tubes were completed on July 10, 1909, and train service opened on November 27, 1910. The Hudson and Manhattan tunnels were commenced in 1874 but financial difficulties prevented completion until February 25, 1908, when one pair was put in service, and on July 19, 1909, both tubes were in operation. So far, so good. But conditions demand a vehicular tunnel, and can such be constructed so as to overcome any danger from the exhaust gases of automobiles? Foremost experts were consulted. General George W. Goethals, in his report of November 24, 1917, said: STRAIGHT line is the shortest distance between two points. The American people always choose the shortest distance. They think quickly and act quickly. They believe in efficiency, but William C. Dodge this accomplished, they seek methods of speed. No undertaking is too great for them. Their first concern is: will it accomplish the desired result? And, second; how quickly can it be done? Witness the recent accomplishment results, and these have no artificial ventilation. That of the American army of occupation in Germany in bridging the Rhine in fifty-nine minutes. The Germans considered it a fast job when they did it with the same material in four hours. So when the congestion of trucks at and near the various ferries on the West side of New York city became so great as to seriously impair shipping facilities, attention was directed to a tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. The construction of a tunnel under the Hudson River is not an experiment. On April 1, 1904, the construction of the Pennsylvania railroad double "A question has been brought up in connection with vehicular tunnels for motor driven vehicles which merits consideration, since it has been asserted that such tunnels are not practicable, based on the belief that carbon monoxide will be present in dangerous quantities. The insidious and deadly effects of the poisonous gases are not to be deprecated. By theoretical discussion attempts have been made to show that the air in a tunnel permeated by such gases would be injurious to health. The fact remains, however, that motor vehicles operate through the tunnels under the Thames river without disastrous the tunnels in question have not the length of the proposed Hudson tunnel is a scarcely valid objection, since by ventilation the sections of the former can be dupli cated in the latter, and it would be fair to assume that the results will be the same. With an upper and lower level the current of air can be kept in the direction of the moving vehicles. The tunnels can be 42 feet in diameter with an inside diameter of Blockade of freight in New York city where teamsters have to wait all day to reach their destination 36 feet. This will permit three lines of traffic in each level. Slow, horse-drawn vehicles will use the right, motor trucks the centre and high speed passenger cars the left of each tube. Ventilation ducts will be provided throughout the interior of the tunnels, and at each end there will be two large ventilating towers containing blowers which will force fresh air into the tunnels. It has been said that "The Hudson River is at once a valuable asset and a serious handicap to the city of New York." The coal, produce, in fact most all freight, comes to the New Jersey shore and then must be loaded on lighters or barges and towed across the river. Frequently, the barges are held up for hours waiting for room at the piers. Outgoing freight is carted to the ferries, thence across the river and loaded on the freight cars at the railroad terminals. West Street, New York city, is one mass of congested trucks from early morning till late at night. Frequently it requires two days to make delivery of one truck load of merchandise. The accompanying photos show idle trucks, some of them remaining several hours before permitted to move. The proposed tunnels will avoid this congestion. Possibilities of coal and food famines due to strikes and obstructions to navigation will be removed. It is said that over 37,000,000 tons of freight are moved on barges and lighters across the Hudson River annually. Capital invested in industrial enterprise in New York has increased in the last twenty years from $800,000,000 to approximately $2,000,000,000. With these figures in mind, of course, the cost of $6,000,000 to the State of New York for the construction of the tunnels is insignificant. The argument has been advanced that the tunnels will divert people from New York to New Jersey. This is theory. But the fact is that since the Hudson tubes were constructed, since transportation to the suburbs on Long Island has been so improved as to permit commuters to reach their homes in twenty minutes from the time they leave Herald Square, people have continued to flock to New York city. There are more people living in the city of New York today, particularly in the Borough of Manhattan, than ever before. Although most people long for the fresh air and green grass of the country, and hope that some day they will have their own home in the suburbs, there is a certain attraction for New York city that keeps the apartment owners and hotel proprietors taxed to the limit in order to provide dwelling places, and it will ever be so. The Greater City is the business centre of this country,- and will soon be the hub of the world. Within its confines are located the greatest financiers, business men, lawyers, engineers, and doctors. Men achieve success in their home communities and then come to New York to broaden their scope. Industries rush to New York to satisfy their financial needs. Business headquarters in New York city become necessary. This requires the employment of additional clerks and, of course, they must live near at hand. Some may locate in the suburbs of New Jersey, but for every family that goes across the river to live, it is safe to say, ten come into New York city to make their homes. Today there is hardly a vacant apartment in the borough of Manhattan. Judging from past experience, with the opening of the Hudson River tubes and increased transportation facilities to points on Long Island, the completion of the proposed vehicular tunnel between New York city and New Jersey will not take families away from the Greater City. On the other hand, people living in New Jersey will drive into New York city and patronize our department stores and leave more money with our financial institutions. Nothing but benefit can come to New York with the completion of these tunnels. But the benefits derived from any public improvement in the commercial facilities of New York harbor cannot be limited in scope. All of the population living in the territory GETTING JOBS FOR THE SOLDIERS "Prior to his enlistment in the Medical Corps he told me he had taught in the Medical School of an Eastern university," said the re-employment examiner. "He had also practiced medicine. Yet he expressed a disinclination to return to either. His army experience had developed in him the desire to continue to deal with large groups of men. The bureau hopes to place him with a large commercial house as medical examiner or in public health work." Across the immense floor of the Placement Division of the Re-employment Bureau of New York City for Soldiers, Sailors and Marines at 505 Pearl street stood a man in uniform who gave his occupation as army cook. 'Well, I kinder thought I would like to stick to it," he told the examiner. 46 Just then the telephone on the desk rang. "Lady just phoned in for a good army cook at once," came the voice. "Have any come in? Pays $55 a month." The self-styled cook was startled. "Gee, but I sure never could suit a lady!" he confessed in a serious tone. "All I learned in the army was to sling hash!" And in the general laugh of others long familiar with his variety of hash" vanished the hopes of the enterprising woman in question to solve her immediate domestic difficulty with an army cook. Strongly contrasted in type as were the men cited in the above instances, they are characteristic of the ebb and flow of men formerly in service who, upon returning to civilian life, are visiting the new centralized re-employment bureau. One has only to recall the outpouring from every class of society and profession which made up our army and navy to realize that the same variation would be naturally at once reflected in the readjustment. Between the highly trained men, such as a former national agency manager for a large insurance company and a sales manager placed at $2,500 a year, and the unskilled office and other types of workers, there are the misfits who need special vocational help "to take a look at themselves" and get the best start possible under the circumstances. All this comes within the scope of the bureau. An interesting development of this work, on which over sixty employers' trade and commercial associations of New York are now centralizing their soldier employment efforts, has been the frequently expressed preference by discharged men for professions and trades learned in the army. This bears out the assertion that army life has given opportunities in skilled or technical lines to men who lacked such training in civilian life. One examiner in the executive, professional, and technical division gave the proportion of those who wanted to go into foreign trade as one out of four. Others wanted to be sent abroad to represent commercial houses. BOLSHEVISM RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK Some startling evidence brought to light by the legislative committee-What BY ATTORNEY-GENERAL CHARLES D. NEWTON As counsel to the legislative committee investigating Bolshevism in New York State, Attorney-General Newton has come into close contact with much startling evidence of these revolutionists in New York State. He here presents to the readers of the STATE SERVICE magazine the most interesting statement yet published on the subject. It tells of the purposes of the various branches of revolutionists in America and the dangers that may come from these organizations if allowed to go unchecked. EDITOR. Charles D. Newton U NTIL Russia coined the high-sounding term "Bolshevism," the average American, the lawabiding, self-respecting, provident citizen paid little or no attention to the soap-box philosophy expounded by the street-corner malcontent. He regarded every glib-tongued irreconcilable who more or less interfered with traffic on the busy cross streets of every municipality in the country, as just plain socialist whose notion of equity involved a fifty-fifty division of wealth He was too busy with the interests of his family, business or job to take time to listen to the apostles of discontent. And because he did not listen or stop to purchase the "literature" these advance agents sold "for the small sum of ten cents," he never learned enough about the radical movement to distinguish its various elements. I must confess to a passing interest only in radicalism until the legislative committee created to investigate Bolshevism in New York State, selected me to act as counsel. Like the average American, my interests were in my family and my work. The investigations of this committee have shocked me into a consciousness of the real truth of radicalism, and my purpose in setting down my thoughts upon this subject is to jar the millions, whose good sense is the very foundation stone of the institutions of this Republic, into an appreciation of the fact that we have a Bolshevik problem right here at home-a problem that demands immediate quest for a solution. I am not alarmed. To be alarmed would be to confess to a lack of faith in the citizenry that wrote in blood the glorious pages of modern history at Cantigny, Belleau Woods, Chateau Thierry, St. Mihiel, the Hindenburg line and the Argonne. But the situation existing in this country as respects the propagation of radicalism disclosed by the New York State legislative committee to investigate Bolshevism is so shocking that the people should know. The legislative inquiry has already substantiated the suspicion that a connection between Bolshevism in Russia and radicalism in the United States exists. The most trusted agents of Trotsky and Lenine were educated in radicalism in America, many on New York's East Side, and others in the slums of Chicago and other populous cities. Like Trotsky, they left America for Russia when the government of the czar showed signs of crumbling. They have been on hand since, and while operating in Russia have been in close touch with their Bolshevik brethren in the United States. |