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The Huron Expositor, 1932-10-28, Page 6e'd 6 f.. 4�[1 ry y4q ALL OF THE HOUSE OF INSULL (By Forest Davis, in The Toronto Star Weekly) linsullism'- meaning the processes 'which •an English "shorthand 'clerle't evade himself muster of a power • empire rated at $4,000,000,- - 600 in 1929, lies under the sharp tserutiny•of Uncle 'Sarnfs courts, fed- eral ' and slate. A sensatorial in- quiry is projected. dnsu.11iere---taken as a symbol of ewer -power's reckless use of the, people's mioney, political manipula- tion, social arrogance, becomes a presidential campaign issue with one candidate, speaking in Chicago,. branding Samuel Insull's operations as a "great racket" comparable to the mischievous activity of his forme ei• townsman, Capone. !Irwin, first power king of the sup- er .power age, i, in exile in Greece. Likewise his son and brother. His brother Martin • is out on bail in Canada awaiting decision as to ex- traditioin" \The house of Instill's ruin is complete—the most extensive bus- iness collapse in the .continent's his- tory. The power empire built by Samuel Insull and his brother Martin has ,gone tc, piece, with a loud crash. The wreokage of the huge undertaking is strewn across the United States. Capital to the amount of four zillions is involved ih the catastrophe; 600,- 000 shareholders await developments. Sa,:rnrel Insull, the man who built the newer octopus, fled from his lair in Chicago last June, and was arrest- ed in Greece. His brother Martin came 'to Orillia, Canada, was arrest- ed, and is now out on •bail, awaiting the will of the law. In the whole history of the United States there leas never been an industrial crash of such magnitude. 'The' disastrous results of the crash of the Insull financial structure can only be appreciated after a glimpse of its dimensions. It was a colossal creation„ an insatiable xnver octopus that had thrown its tentacles across the whole North American continent. Its head was in Chicago, but it reach- ed out in 32 states, and into Canada and'i1Vllexioo as well. Lt supplied 5,600 communities with electrical 'power, in one formor another, and its custom- ers numlbered 1,718.000. It supplied electricity to more people than there are in Canada. It had 32,000 work- ers on its payroll, and 600,000 se- curity holders. It operated 324 steam plants, 196 hydro electric gen- erating stations, 89 gas plants and 328 ire -making plants. It required 44,500 ,rniles of translnissien lines and 10,600 miles of gas mains to serve its far-flung power •empire. In Chicago, Insull's grip ,was absolute. He -controlled its' electricity and gas, the famous Loop and other elevated lines, its surface lines, its bus sys- tem and its central heating. Samuel Insull, who entered Chica- go in 1893, the year of the world's fair, was an Englishman. Born in poverty in London in the year 1859, he had to fend for himself at the age of fourteen years, He learned short- hand, and got a job with the London meanager of Thomas A. Edison's elec- trical concerns. 'That put hire . in touch with the United States, and with the infant electrical industry. He crossed the Atlantic a few years later, and became Thomas Edison's secretary. At that time the electri- cal wizard was struggling for a foot- hold in the electrical' world. He worked day and night, engrossed in his experiments. In young Insull he found a suitable team -prate; the two of them used tp, work from dawn till dark. • Insull -kept books, signed cheques, wrote letters, bought the inventor's clothing, paid household bills—in short, made himself indis- pensable. 'Funds were scanty. One night, in 1882, Edison suggested despair- ingly that . Insull go back to sten- cgraphy and he would return to tele- graphing. But they pulled through. Insull helped organize the Electric Tube Company, first conduit enter- prise, the Edison Lamp 1C'ompany, 1 the Edison Machine ',Yorks, and when the Edison entsrprises were gather ed. in 1859, into the Edison General Electric, with the nia.in ` pant at Schnectady, 'Samuel Insull became second vice=preside it in charge of i manufacturing and, selling. Insull has; 01 TM HURON • EXPOSITOR "1 IT'S AVER THATMAKES YOU FEEL SO WRETCHED Wake up your Liver Bile —No Calomel necessary For you to 'feel healthy and happy, goer liver must pour two pounds of liquid bile into your bowels, overt'y.without that bile, trouble starts. Poor digestion. Slow elimination. Poisons in the, body. General wretchedness. . 13ow can you expect to clear up a situation like this completely with mere bowel -moving salts, oil, mineral water, laxative candy or chewing gum, or roughage? They don't wake uo yofiver. You ur need Carter's Little Liver PiRs. Purely vegetable. Safe. Quick and sure results. Ask for them by name. Refuse substitutes. 25c. at all druggists. 54 4 aiven out numerpus estimates of Ed - teen's diameter and attainments. Edison's tribute to Insult, telegraph- ed to anniversary dinner in Chicago —thirteen years after instill had en- tered that city—read: "Insull is one of the greatest busi- ness men in the United States,. and as tireless es the tides." Pioneer Electrical Magnate. Insull entered the f'abtilousiy boom- ing lake shore' metropolis'with a chip on his shoulder—a 'challenging splin- ter which would not successfully he dislodged until the harrowing spring- time of 1932.. He invited himself to Chicago—;hadactuially dictated his entry. Ilt •came about in this way: The Chicago Edison Company, one of the earliest units formed to ex- ploit the electric light, needed a competent manager. A succession of men, untrained in the new technology had failed. In their need the bank- ers and lawyers who had proniot d= the utility sent a committee to New York to see Edison. The inventor referred the Chicagoans to -Insult, who, .presu.ma'bly, as second vice- president of the newly formed Gen- eral 'Electric Corporation, knew all the available utility imianagers in the land. "Take nue," commanded 'Insull. "I can do the job better than any man in the country." The committee took hint at his word. So Insuull went to Chicago. (Superimposed on the blunt self - assertiveness of the nineteenth cen- tury English commercial man, the bluff ,associated.- ivith Americans at that period had converted the weli- diseoiplin•ed short,ha:nd clerk into a dominating character. A domineer- ing manner was the idea of rising business,, iretegnates, then. Autocratic, choleric fellows blustered to the top and ruled; soft --spoken, reasonable men failed. tit was a preposterous age and Ins.. sull fitted into it as a finger in a glove. The truttt idea had only re- cently been formulated. Bigness, m+aterialisrie showy splendor excited Americans as never before. Rocke- feller learned over the business scene, I THE -INE THING YOU CAN AFFORD The great national pastime this weather is squeez- ing the expenditure column SQ that it will remain in pro- portion to the revenue. The first step in this, of course. is making a decision as to what items are absolutely necessary to the well-being of our minds and bodies and consigning the balance to the limbo of "things we will have when times improve." •< Yon cannot do without your local newspaper for several reasons, the first of which is that as an intelligent citizen of the commun- ity it is necessary that you keep informed about what is taking place in that community: Whether your interests are being cared for in the governing of municipal affairs; what is transpir- ing at the schools, the churches; if grants are being made from public funds, or cut off, and why; what your community propos- es doing about relief measure's; where foodstuffs, meat, wearing apparel, wood, coal may be bought to best advantage; where rou may sell ortrade some used article, or buy such an article to ad- vantage. All the intimate personal news; the deaths, births, and marriages, and the thousand and one other occurrences that go to make up• the life of a community, That is the function of the weekly newspaper. Its news columns . each week carry the story of the activities of the community and in addition the'effective news of the world at large. Its advertis- ing columns bring into your home the best offerings of the stores and shops with prices and description. The classified advertis- ing column is' a meeting place for buyers and sellers in every conceivable line. The Huron Expositor costs you but three cents a week: If you will read it thoroughly, intelligently, you will receive many, many tithes over a return in value. And The Huron Expositor is a 'good paper for the family to read. There are many things chil- dren may learn from its columns, but nothing they should shun. It's columns are clean, carefully edited and contain all the NEWS, If you are not already a subscriber to The Huron Ex- • positor take advantage' of the ,four months' trial offer below. Do it to-day—NOW--while, you think of it. - THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Seaforth, Ont. Enclosed please find 50 cents as subscription to The Huron Expositor. for 4 months. At the end of -that time I will notify you if I wish it discontinued. NAME R. R. No P. O. see ,•, Carnegiee and . other iponmasters -were becoming steel kings, Chic ,go had its share of the money kings al- so. ,Into this roaring, power -drunk city stepped 'Samuel Insult, self -invited, wearing no man's collar, and ready to fight with bare kn sekles to get his share of the booty. Ike had done well for himself in the new world. He had some moneer laid away. He was a big man in the infant electri- cal industry, and he was sending his younger brother Martin to Cornell University. He was ready to do things in a big way. The Edison Caolmpany was strug, gling to get a share of the business of lighting, Chicago. 'Insull took full charge, and went to , work. Three yearrs•.,later he walked scornfully out on the (board of directors and took charge.of a rival company, the Com- mon'w'ealith, where he won a. free hand from the start. Ten years after that 'he gobbled, u s the Edison company, ass he gobbled up so many hundreds' of independent utilities during his ascendancy. Bribery, thuggery, clou, ble grossing, conferences -with hoods - ling aldermen in saloon back roans, raising funds to kill off damaging ordinances,: •fuCing inspectors and their basseee, contributing to all sorts of political rings in (both' parties in order to have friends at court—all these things were part of the battle of the half dozen electrical compan- ies that were .struggling for sopreen- acy in Chicago in those days. Insull was ie the thick of it. !)Ie was not- ed for three things—e. 'Capacity . for work, 'his insistence upon the latest -equipmient and the best in service, and an unscrupulous skill in extract- ing what he wanted from the stand - and -deliver politicians. In the year, 1899 Instill announced that he had reached a sufficient p ce in the world to found a family. He married Miss Margaret A. Bird. A beautiful girl, enjoying a • successful stage career as Gladys Wallis; she retired Itbe foliowin'g year, only to reappear years later when it suited Insull's whims to lease a Chicago the- atre to display her talent. Miss Wal- lis had /played ingenue roles with Otis Skinner and other stars. She capti• voted Instill while playing+ in the Schiller theatre company in Chicago, Samuel Instill had now established a family. The road to the heights of the industrial world now lay before hien, and he was well on the way. In all 'the roaring inland metropolis no halfgod stirred himself so single- mindedly to rise into the light. A Super -Power Colossus. His chance came with the invention of the tueno-generaahor. Battering clow i the --hesitancies of his boa -re .of directors, Insull installed the first Curtis generator in his Fish St. sta- tion. • It was a gamble. Insull risk- ed $ 700,000 by the installations,+' The' day they unleashed the new giant was a memorable one for the coming power king. He was on the scene., but his chief consulting engineer ad- vised him to go back to the office. The innards of the turbine were scraping on the casing and .. making a terrible noise. The engineer thought the chances of a blow-up were not remote, and told Insull what was in his (mind. "Well," said Insull, "if it 'bltws up. the company will ablo'v up, and I will blow tip too, so I might as well stay here and between us we will finish the jib." But the turbine, capable .pf gener- ating 5,000 kilowatts, did not blow up, and it gave electricity wings. A second 5000 kilowatt unit soon fol- lowed, nailing down for the Insull Catuntton'wcaltlh property the ascend- ancy in, •Chicago. In a few short years electrical energy had been cheapened, and had been sent across Illinois. Insull was one top. He con- solidated his independent plants in sixteen nearby Illinois counties, 200 cities and towms, 6,000 square miles into the first of his great holding companies, Putbli'c Service of" North- ern Illinois. " :Meanwhile, down in the river coun- ties of Indiana, around New Albany, and trenching, over into Louisville, Kentucky, Martin Insull, tall, suave, thoroughly Americanized, busied himneelf d'ev'eloping electric light plants and interurban, lines. He was a super -salesman, and he brought back the bacon to Chicago. When Sam had finished welding the Chi- cago area into one electrical struc- ture of central station and transmis- sion wire, Martin, came up to Chicago and joined forces with his dominent brother. So in 19.12, the ',Middle We3t Utilities, the two -billion -dollar key- stone, of the Insull empire was born. There was nothing fbi'gger in the United States. Its assets dwarfed those of any other existing corpora- tion. The ln'sulls were dominant its the power world of North America. Sam Insull has (been creditted with a vast Utopian scheme for changing the face of nature, 'binding mankind ko'gether,, freeing (villager and farm- er of drudgery, but if he ever hal such a dream, it is not reflected in any of his public addresses' or the recollections of close friends. His dreams were imperial, right enough, but they were concerned with busi- ness, technology and' personal or fam- ily 'prestige. In. no utterance avail- able to me did the /major Insull ever appear to sense the -social implica- tions of resiponsifbilities of his .pro- jects. His attitude on the subject of power concentration may be said to have been expressed in its most fav- orable sociological light when in 1921. he delivered the Cyrus Fogg Bracket engineering lecture at Princeton Uni- versity. On that academic occasion the power king looked forward Hope- fully to the time when "every home, every facbory, and every transporta- tdon liner will obtain its energy from one common source. for the simple reason that that will be the cheapest way to produce -and distribute it." No, there is no slight indication that Insall over regarded himself as do- ing more in the business of making .and selling electricity than working for 'his o'wn pocket. A practical max( this English clerk who ibecanve a king. '"'t The Middle (We's't Uttilities 'Com- pany became a colossus, straddling 'the United States. he power lines, form s a network that coven's nearly every state- in the un'iaru. It became, the admiration and the 'dread' of • the, emerging su'pe'r -power age. With :S'am'1si utilities •pr'eeti. +e and Martin's A OCTO ';; 2 :, 1932 . • When you're Healthy', you're happy THINK back over the last six months. The days that you were the happiest were days when'realth was at the peak. Enjoy' more sunshiny days. Poor health is so often due to common constipation. Yet this condition can be over- come by simply eating a de- licious cereal. Laboratory investigations have proved that Kellogg's ALL -BRAN provides "bulk" to exercise the intestines, and vitamin B to further assist elimination. ALL -BRAN is also twice as rich .. in iron as an equal weight of beef liver. personal charm, the Middle West forged. ahead. without ,,srethaelt until the final crash •came. They acquired more proiperrties in southern and cen- tral Indiana, erected transmission lines, t?armed the 'Central Indiana :Power 'Company, a subsidiary 'hold- ing eorporation. They reached into northern Indiana and formed the Midland Indiana. Into Michigan they extended organizing the Great Lakes Power Company. Their pro- perties,' fortified ust,aliy with mon- opolistic privileges, guarlanteed by ,state laws and with rate set on the basis of "fair values," needed ord.; to be economically managed' to show profits and entice fresh capital They were well Managed, in the interest of /the Insulls, the shareholders, and in - This "bulk" in ALL -BRAN is similar to that in leafy vegetables. Biological tests have demonstrated that it is mild in action. Two tablespoonfuls of Kellogg's ALL -BRAN daily are usually sufficient. With each meal in chronic cases. If not relieved this way, consult' your doctor. Isn't this peasant "cereal way" better than taking -pill, and drugs — so often harm- ful? Get the red -and -green package at your grocer's. Made by Kellogg in London, Ontario. "'4'hen you're healthy, You're happy" `Mow you feel—.and hew wen. you hole—depends largely upon the food you cat. lie sure your diet is balanced --with enftteier,t `l,+sik'._to-prornotn-r•egularity,t•.. .-. 7Wie cidentally, in the interest as well of the consumers. ' Came the de,pressi•on.-- The bubble burst. Sam Insull took a train for New York• Martin moved to Orillia, Ontario. Chicago was stunned, in- credulous, but still hopeful that Sani Insull would come .back to his glit- tering throne and put "his potwer kingdom. in order. But 'Siam has not returned. Neither has Martin. The gigareic creatione of these two men are a mass of wreckage, strewn across' a continent. 'How much can be salvage remains to be seen, bust in face of the -fact that 'both Instills fled from Chicago, meet people be- lieve that the shareholders of 'Middle West Utilities Cam{pacay have a large acrd very dead horto on their hands. Seen in the County Papers Property Transfer. Mr. Benson Tuckey, of the Tuckey Transport, has purchased front Mr.. John Taylor, the Taylor Tire Shoop oil (Main. Street. also 'the residence on the cornier of Wlilliam and Ann Street. Mr. •Tuckey will ruse the (building in connection with his trucking busi- ness, --{Exeter Times•-A'dvocatte. Now in England. Mr. O. R. Patterson, formerly agri- cultural reprresenibati've in Herron County, ,going frolml here to Peel 'County and later resigning to take a position on the Ontario Mlarketting Board, has recently been appointed Honey Commercial rR.epresenutativte to Great Britain and is already in Eng- land. It is hoped' that having a re- presentative on the rground will greatly increase the marketing of Canadian honey in the British 'Lyles. —4O1inton News -Record. Barn Damaged By Fire. 'A fine rbarlt'k barn, together with 1,5010 bushels of grain, a large quan- tity orf hay and several •ini,plemeents, belonging to - Oliver Hemingway, 10th concession of Grey Township, were entirely consumed by fire which utarted about 3 &clock Friday morn- ing. The barn was situated on what is known ,ass the "Hollinger Par;n,'.. lot .9, coaroesision 10, and as far as Mr.'Hemingway knew, no person had been near the place for a week, so that the cause of the fire is a mys- tery. The Ions will he least $3000 on w'hi,oh theme is a small insurance. The roof of the 'building was falling in when the fire was first noticed by neighbors. — Wingham Advance - Times. Apple Blossoms in October. Several freaks of nature have been reported in .papers recently, but to How to Get Relief From Catarrh. If you heave catarrh„ catarrhal deafness or head noises caused by catarrh„ you should know that these ciistre'ssing symptoms may' frequent- ly be overcome by this simple home t'reatm'ent. (Secure from] your druggist 1 ori. Parmiirit (D'ouible Strength). Take this 'horde and, add 1/s pint hot water and a little sugar. One- tablespoonful four times a day should quickly and col . iletely relieve distressing head noises and deafness due to.. catarrh, loss of smell and taste., and dropping mucous. If nearly ninety per cent, of 'all ear troubles arts catarrhal, there must the many' whose hearing ?arrni nt meld help. prove that October v'as putting on springtinve airs, Mr. Philip Damsels, R. R. 2, 'Winghaani, last Saturday brought to this office several sprigs - of apple blossarnts. 'Some of the blossoms were full out while ottlher.^s were in the budding stages'. Some of the ibinsso'nns had been touched by the frost Friday 'morning, but other- wise their natural beauty was co'ni- pletbe.— Wingham Advance -Times. Carr Accident Near Bluevale. The rLiisito'w'e1 road, Trate McKin- ley's farm was the scene of a •nitotar accident Mondlay• morning about 7.45. Mrs. Jack MacKay, of Atwood, had sdlr•i•vetn her 'h'udband ' to Bluernale, 'where he' works on the railroad; and was returning to Atwood' and as she appro'ach'ed McKinney's farm, an Es- sex coupe -pas'sed her, crowding the Feed 'A she was driving. The Essex car struck the front fender of 'her car, turning the - car mato the 'ditch. Mrs. (McKay had tlhnree fingers of her left 'hand bandly cut and also', suf- fered frorn. -shook. She was taken to Wlitngllant General Hospital where she received medical attention. 'She was able to leave for home Mon'diay evening.. The Essex car that caaulsed the accident, did not stop but pro- ceeded on toward 'Listowel. County Constable W. ,M'oMiehaed ' in invtesti- atih —IWingham Advance -Times. Auburn. Farmer Dies of Injuries. John Schnitz, aged 69, Auburn farmer, on Saturday reltlenring Aaat died in Alexandra (lilaspital from in- ju.riets received when struck down by en autiomuelbile o'n the county highway near Auburn a week 'previous. The accident happened wear deceased's fd , one and a half miles west of the. 'nage as he was walking along the ro'a'd after dusk. At first his in- juries were not thought tp be ser- ious, but gangrene is said to ]nave ,set in and amputation of the leg to prevent the spread of the .poisoning proved of no avail. A jury was em. - panelled by 'Coroner Dr. A. C. Hun= ter on Saturday night, they viewing the remains 'and adjourning until Thursdlay. The driver of the (oar which struck down /Mr, Schultz, Nor- man: J. Tomes, of 'De'troit, formerly ef 'Bayfield, was not held after in- veeltigation by Provincial rOonstafble Fox. It Ream's that when he turned to the centre of the road to pass tine deceased, the latter became confused, apparently • by the lights, and sttterp- pet] of jumped directly in: -the /path of the ear.'Had he heldi his comae all would have .been, well. Mer. Scholtz was a well known farmer in his cemn- mttnity and the father of a very large family Who, With his wife, see- vi've Bili//, There• were six people in' the .earn which struck 'Mr... Schultz, three men and three women, it hs /hated, and theey are expected to test- ify rat the inqueast,--Goderi'ch Star. Death ef Wingham Lady, 'Olio dearth eeentred at her •reaal- a' Y.,S dcn•.ee in Wingham on Friday even- ing of Naomi Oopeland, who had been t'i'ling for- several- mtonrthen She- liad spent the past wtiniter with herr, daughter, -'Mrs. W. A. Cemtpbell, of Stratheal'len Bee levard, 'Toronto, re- turning with her dau'gh'ter to . her own home for the summer, and short- ly atter her health began to fail. Bornin Leeds 'Cbunby, Township of Lansdowne:, on March 9, 1847,x. de- ceased moved with, her parents to the Township of iHowielp, near Glor- Tie, 'when about four years of age. ,Ini 1865 they moved to Lower Wlinlg- h'am, where the family resided• for four years, when they moved to Luc -know. She was married in .Luok- ,notw to her late husband, Themes Gre •ory, who predeeeaeed her ilinir- ;been years ago. She went to Wing - ham as a bride in, 1876, taking up residence itt the home in which she 'passed away.' Surviving are two daughters; IMrs. W. A. camlpbell, of Toronto; Mrs, E. G. Button, at Riv- erside, 'Cal.; one son, George, of Climax, Sask.; also three sisters, Mrs. J. C. Hay, of Lnstotwiel; Mrs. L. -C. Molrutyre, of Winnipeg, and Mrs. D. A. Kennelly, of Toronto, The fun- eral was cautioned •fromm her late res- idence on Monday afternoon at two o'clock by Rev. L. P. Currie, pastor of the United 'church. Interment was evade in the Wingham ceanetery.-- Goderich Star. Luck -now Factory Busy. The Luckn!o'w Table Company is now operating eighth hours a day. This means two working .hours extra per day for the employees, who. for 'several months have been working six hour's. Some ‘imlproveim/elut in business conditions at present...makes this .po'ssi(ble and 'directors and work- men are in an (otptimisbic state of mind. 'No lay-offs have occurred and no cut in salary has been made in spite of umd'afvlormble prevailing 'business c edlirti+omsr-.,Gode2-ich Star. " New Bridge Opened. ' lReplaeing an old steel bridge, too narrow and not of sufficient strength to eerily peesentt-dey traffit, the fine new reinforcedconcrete bridge over the /M•aitland river on Pr•ovincial. Highway Ne. 23, three miles north of Monioton, wa's' otpened to traffic on Thursday afternoton. The new bridgec located on 'Uie ,Mbonikton,-Listowel highway, is of the latest type and design and is the latest imrpi-avemen't on the highway in that -section. C. A. Cumrmiforde .retsident engineer of the Department of Pulbine 'Hi'ghways, announced that the roadway on the new bridge is 30, feet in width, with a five foot sidewalk on the weet side. Construction on the structure was commenced early in the summer. The old bridge was constructed of steel with a wooden flooring. -- Mibe-?lett Advocate. •4. 0 wee, l it% ¢aaadc¢hh¢tS,h¢a tvi a1 banisvont y &an' sYstea Well 1Vedn on'08• ea► it rr- er it X