Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-10-27

ernments, I. e., the contract system upon
public works. In the construction Of
their railroad and telegraph systems
they have given the control and profits
of these lines to certain foreign syndi-
Gates for term of years and guaranteed
them certain percentage upon their in
vestments, whether the lines paid or
not, and last year they made contract
with an English syndicate to construct
series of docks for the shipping calling
at Buenos Ayres, much needed i'm
provement for at present no ship Of
considerable draught can approach the
city nearer than ten miles, on account
of the shallowness Of the river bed This
work, involving an estimated outlay of
ten million dollars, is Of vast Importance
to the entire nation, something in which
every citizen is concerned; but through
the same short.sighted prejudice which
characterizes the citizens Of this great
republic, this work Of general welfare
must first serve as bonanza for few
individuals, for whose benefit the people
must submit to increased taxation.
But as an example of the Inconsistency
of such a policy, and of the manner in
which the people are blinded by this fe-
fish of our bourgeois economists, the fol-
lowing incident, happening some years
ago, will be as "a word to the wise. The
ranchmen who had settled with their
families near the southern boundary of
the republic adjoining Patagonia, were
subject to periodical raids from the
bands of savages inhabiting the territory
of the Patagonlan peninsula. Finally,
after several Intellectual attempts to cap
ture or exterminate these favage free
hooters by military expeditions, the gov
eminent sent cavalry expedition under
General Roca, the Sheridan of the River
Platte, to make another effort. East and
west across the territory runs the Rio
Negro, a swift, turbid stream with high
banks. Fifty miles or so from the noun
tains the river makes a turn in its
course and leaves narrow pathway,
through which everything that leaves or
enters Patagonia by land must 60
Across this pass of fifty miles General
Roca set his command to work to dig a
! ditch twelve feet deep and fifteen feet
wide. The Indians, to the number of
several thousand, were north when the
work was done, raiding the settlements.
As spring came they turned southwark.
as usual, with their long caravan of
stolen horses, cattle, etc. Roca gallOped
around their rear, and drove them night
and day until they reached the ditch
that he had prepared for them where
they became bewildered, for they could
not cross it, and in a few days all who
had not been killed in battle surrendered,
and were distributed through the army
as soldiers, while the women were sent
into semi-slavery among the ranchmen
whom they had robbed.
Here is an illustration of the possibil-
tiles of the organized social energy. The
construction of this fifty miles of ditch
did not cost the nation one more cent
than if the same soldiers who con-
structed it had been loafing in their bar.
racks. But this was war, and there is
certain work to be done in war in which
the chances of profit are so meager that
the nation has to DO that itself; when
the chances are Of all loss and no gain
then the nation must be the organizer
and director, but when there is chance
for gain, then 1.-The State should not in
terfere with private enterprise"
When, oh when, will the people o.
this republic get their eyes opened sutfi
GENTLY to see that it is far easier anC
more for the general welfare to organize
their social energy for peace and indus
try than it is for war and destruction
If, upon occasion, it becomes necessary
to organize armies and arm them with
tools of destruction in order to preserv,
the liberty and lives Of the people, is il
not just as necessary and as possible t
organize armies of industry armed with
the tools and machinery of construction
in order to preserve the liberty and lif,
of the people? J.E.H.