Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-08-04
Government Ownership of Railways.
A New York paper speaking on the

A New York paper speaking on the
subject says:
In Hungary, under government ownership of
railroads, the rates so low that it costs only
81 92 to ravei u distance equal to that between
New York and Chicago system OF Cckets
somewhat like postage stamps has Deen ADOPT
ed which travellers can use on all lines, ana with
which freight can also be prepaid. The saving is
enormous. and the people can get the full bene
1T Of it. In this country the tickets, 1relght ana
advertising agencies which competing railroad
companies are employing, cost over &UJ,(VU,OO
year The princely salaries and ''plckines' OF
presidents. directors contractors ana most OF
parasites amount fully to an equal If not larg
err sum. Then comes the interest on bonds ana
the dividends on stocks abundantly watered
For all this the pnblic must pay plutocratlc
tax over and above the actual st OF transpor
tation. 1t is safe to say that the gross earnings
over S9O00OO000 would be saved by the people
by government ownership and operation of the
national highways
According to the statements of rail
road authorities in New York, Jay
Gould controls an aggregate of nearly
$4,000 miles of railway eff his
plans should be carried out" says the
Journal of Industry. ''Gould will hold
the control of somethidg like $500. OOO,-
600 of railroad property, which would
make him the autocrat and dictator OF
the railroad world of the United States.
His will would be law, and no railroad
corporation would be strong enough to
stand against him or attempt to oppose
him. Beyond this there could be but
one step, and that would be, obviously,
the assumption of control by the Uni
ted States government. Since no ag-
gregation of private capital could be de-
vised which would be powerful enough
to hold it's own, the only recourse would
be for the people, in their national COR
pOrate capacity, to take these railroads,
in common with others, out of Gould's
hands into their own, and operate them
| for their own benefit 1t is not con-
sistent with free Institutions of popular
government that one individual should
possess such enormous power as the
control of the entire transportation IA
cilities of the country would give him.
There would be more menace of the
| liberties of the nation from such a
source than from standing army OF a
million men. The limit of the private
acquisition of property has never
been fixed in this country, and perhaps
| it cannot be; but in such u case as this
it must be apparent that the line would
be overstepped, and that the safety OF
the nation would probably demand the
speedy surrender of railroad control
into the hands of the government. One
of the principal objections urged to gov
eminent patronage would be almost i'm
measurably increased, thus giving the
party in power chance to perpetuate
its power: however, the same objection
could be urged against government
control of the postal service of the ma
ton. Civil service is corrupt, and all
concede that the patronage of the postal
service is potent factor in the national
elections: but no one, even with that
concessio1, would be willing to see the
postal service given out of the hands of
the government into the hands of
grasping individuals. The rail-
roads of the country now WELD a
more powerful and corruptin9 infu-
ence over legislatures. congress and
in political campaign then most any
other power. 1t is doubtful whether the
increased governmental patronage in
cident to government ownership or
control of railroads would be more in
imical to the general good than the
present corrupt methods of railrOed
corporations in securing legislation
| favorable to their interests. The diff
firent farmers organization are now de-
handing, at least government control,
and in case that it fails to correct exist
ing abuses government ownship. The
people are around and organized, and
it is only question of time when the
government will at least exercise super
visiOr over the means of transportation
and then in the interest of the people.
Labor Review, Gladbrook, Iowa.
An Address of Caution from National
President l.. L. Polk.