The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-13

or interest Of the sums advanced.
GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF RAILROADS.
The government may be forced some
day TO undertake the operation OF rail-
road. The Union Pacific railroad, upon
which the government holds the second
mortgage, has never paid one dollar OF its
| Indebtedness, and if the government
should assert its rights and take charge
/ of this property, it would meet the ludg-
| ment of thousands Of sagacious persons
| acquainted with the subject The gov
| eminent of Australia owns all the rail-
| roads of that country, and its operation
of them is entirely satisfactory to the
| people Of that country. Why should not
this government undertake the expert
mentl Surely it would not fail where
| Australia has succeeded.
Water transportation was given part1c-
| ular attention by Col. Needham, and the
| development of water ways as the surest
| and readiest means of industrial develop
| ment was strongly urged. Water trans
/ portation, he said, was the cheapest of all
! transportation.
| If the government should make loan
| OF 500, DOC, 900 for the purpose of develop
| ment of internal water ways, the value
| Of the improvements obtained would re-
| turn many times the amount expended.
| Even Georgia, he said, appealed to con-
| gress Tor the improvement ana deepening
| OF her route TO the sea, and which was
destined to make her the greatest port Of
the South Atlantic
The general advantages of the develop
ment of the water ways of the country to
the people of the whole country were
strongly dwelt upon by Col. Needham.
The address was we'll received and the
speaker was heartily applauded.
THE. AGRICULTURAL SOUTH AND WEST
Gen. Burkitt, of Mississippi, who was
to have delivered an address upon the
subject of The Agricultural South and
West, " was unfortunately too Ill to leave
his room at the De Soto. Gen. Brkitt's
address was read by Prof. Sauls, of Mis-
sissippi
The first portion of the address was
confinedltoa discussion of the agricultural
conditions of the SOUTH Owing, he said,
to low prices, Generalization Of labor and
bad seasons the farmers of the south are
not to-day in as prosperous condition as
might be desired However, Gen. Bur-
kit said in his address, he had
had good labor and fair conditions
and had little complaint of
this year. The prices of land and the
general inducements that the south has
to offer to emigrants were touched upon
at the same length.
THE SILVER QUESTION DISCUSSED.
The address took somewhat of a politi-
cal turn when Gen. BurkiJt touched upon
the silver question, and declared that
President Cleveland had destroyed the
Democratic party, anG that the Chicago
platform was mere lodge, and was so in
tended at its adoption. He appealed to
the great west to join with the south in
resisting the money power of the
east. He urged that they combine their
forces to secure the reconciliation of sill
yer, and change of financial conditions
that would result in the improvement of
the condition of the agricultural sections
of the country.
Gen. Burkitt's address created some
amusement, but was applauded at its
close, and was evidently approved by
many of those present.
The discussion of the addresses was
| then announced as in order, and Col
Needham S address was taken up.
THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD QUESTION.
Mr.. Tewksbery, of Pennsylvania in
quired of Col. Needham if he had any
well defined plan by which the govern
lnent was to obtain possession of the rail
roads of the country.
Col. Needham in reply said that he had
| showed how the government could obtain
possession of one railroad. The Union
| Pacific railroad, he said, was indebted to
| the government for as great an amount as
| the whole capital stock upon its books to-
| day. This money had been obtained from
| the government by means of the most
bare-faced political trickery. Stocks and
| bonds were issued by the company, and
| this capital stock was given away. Not
| one dollar, he said, of the millions of dol
| lars represented by the capital stock of
| the company had ever gone into the treas
| ury of the company.
The gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA in
quired what had become of the capital
stock.
They gave it to themselves" was the
reply.
after the Union Pacific Company had
issued its bonds and given away its stock,
| said Col Needham, it modestly offered
| the government a second mortgage to ad-
vance it the money to complete the road.
The road was built by the Credit Mobil-
| Ter. The same parties who had disposed
of the stocks and bonds received S25, 900,
600 from the government to complete the
road. They made contract with them
| selves to build the road and did it, and
the government has never received a dol
lar of its principal or interest. The gov
eminent has either to take the railroad
| or lose the money!" said Col Needham.
| AS the holder of the mortgage the gov
! ernment is the residuary legatee of the
| property.
The discussion grew quite interesting
and there was disposition to go into the
| whole history of the Union Pacific steal
which threatened to grow very lengthy
The subject proved a very interes ting one
and the members seemed to thoroughly
agree with Col Needham that the gov
eminent should take possession of the
railroad, if it was found to its advantage
to do so.
A-CHANCE FOR AN EXPERIMENT.
| Col. Needham concluded his remarks by
saying that in answer to,a general ques-
ton as to whether il would be proper for
the government to control and operate all
the railroads of the country he had said
that the government had an opportunity
for an experiment on this line by taking
possession Of the Union Pacific for its in
debtedness and that it had precedent for
so doing in the ownership and operation
of railroads by Australia He had not
advocated that the government should
own and operate all the railroads of the
country
Mr. Tewksbery insisted that Col.
Needham had argued in favor of govern
ment ownership of railroads, in answer to
which Col. Needham reread this portion
of his address to show that he had merely
argued in favor Of the experiment with
the Union Pacific.
A delegate made point of order that
the question was political one, and, con-
sequently, was barred from discussion
under the rules of the congress.