Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-06-12

Ihe San Francesca Chrouiele Jans
ID gives The report foliswine sf an I'd.
dress delivered IN that city b. an e.
resident OF Seattle:
W. ID. Southvorsh, an aQitator. vhos.
special ldea b the government ownes-
snip ano operation Of raiiroada smoke
yessssfday Afternoon 10 an audience a.
nsen end women which nearly fiIIsd A
ssmnly Hall. IN the Aicszar baildinr.
soutnwcfth eiz3ms TO have bsea EN-
pieysd IN great number Of capacities
On vario1s railroads acd TO have oh-
TUNED an intimate knowiedes Of the ia.
Moe w0rktrRs Of railroad coupauiee
,nrougn Bis experiences IN the auditin9
departments Of ths companies and a.
asefesary 20 department. managers. Un-
IKE nnest labor and political aeifafors
no have preceded him In this city. he
= 90 inti@sfe speskfpg terms vita the
EnRiish lanRasae. b moderate In his
tsrms and manner, and 10 generally sat
lsned with ths American form Of GOV
srnment. exeepttnR In relation 20 rail
roads, DE claims 10 be a missionary
OF Large and powerful secret labor or
silnixstien, having 0oveFnment cJutrol
OF railroads fof its chief object, and his
diittes here are 20 spFead the eospel OF
this belief. and 10 organize divisions of
the Grsnd Army Of Labor. The data
hti depends upon as basis for sons
as4ouiehing assertions, sach as that the
Government could carry passengers
aes0ss the continent for 81 each at
pfufit. he asserts have been carefully
easnpllad BY sxpsrt8 VINO are practically
familiar with tha coae Of building and
eslsratinR railroads. Under economiesi
management Il would cost, ha SAYS. es25
70 run an average tFain of ears across
the ooutinest. which, II 1850 passengers
were carried, ~ could easily be done,
would make the cost 50 cents each.
The average rate Of fares after the Gov
ernment had had control long enough
60 weed ont the expensive abuses, free
essses, high-salAFied Offices, eto.. would
% ~ cents per passenger par one hun
Then. too, instead Of two iaborers TO
each mile of track, OF 10000 pers0as
70 operate l2i, 600 miles of railroad nog
pi0yees 10 the mile, three shifts Of ten
erily awe employment to every man
aeainst aeoiaents aud consequent ioss
Of hfe and property. and ~ that cx-
teat reduc9 the expenses of operation.
A. 20 the bugbear of stupenaous Ma
titnai debt TO be created by the Coz
ersmeut's purchase Of the railroads,
ihs National deb, or ct least the bor-
den OF expense borne By the people,
would te redGcsd, as the interest c n tbs
Al. II
shien the people would have to pay !.
sauid be = very small part Of what the
people nos have 20 pay In the way Of
ffeiRhte and fares 10 the railroads.
Tne debt Of all the railroads In the
United states averages per mite SIS, 600
After toe Government bad lspped OF
all the excresenees in tbs shape Of
weitered stocks. etc., this debt would be
reduced 10 $1,000 per mile, and the
trsmsnslous increase Of travel and
fruiRhf woald pay this OF In q year.
Every ono Of thsae statements, said the
speaker, can be proved to demonsira.
ticn By Abe very experts who are now
emplcyad By the railroads 10 estimating
costs for them. Possibly, however. the
0s,vernInent may not pay for the rail-
f0sds. lt may assume that she present
osnsrs have pfoiitsd enoueh BY gifts Of
laiids. subsidies and privileges, and
may decide 10 acquire the property
Without fnfther condemnation.
This statement was the nearest ap.
proaob 10 communism the speaker i'm
dulged IN, and after being heartily aP-
plAuded foe u he remarked that be
favored purchasing The roads by the
6avernmenL Ihis happy state OF af-
fairs, when the continens may be-
arsssed for the pFios cf dinner. the
speaker said. II was hoped 70 bring
about ~ t.bos aad politieai orRaniza-
ti0as. he bad written 20 many p,5liti-
otsns and soldiers about bis scheme,
and not 8 politician essE answered my
ssAtcrs and aos Q soldier ever failed 70
answer and approve." Generals q .ans,
stlerman. Sheridan, Crock and many
others had assured him that the osaer.
ship of the railroads By ths 6ossrn-
DeHt was desirable thing from an
army pains Of view.