Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-28
FEW DESIRE TO HEAR
Professor Adams Mastsdy lscs-
vrss on hs Raih~sy Problem.
QUESTION: or STATE coMTaol
HI akeorA - RAtngua<lD aaA Oshes
lssesnAl 1nprOvssnssas ~ ADerses.
Whss N. go - 0s1ng DDoA

Prof- Adamo talked % empty cnAtso
last night. though the audience vas .
triffs larger than that uhieh hstrnsd TO
his former lsctures Men vho arc nnan-
ciaily interested in railroads and ths,se
~ho. - shippers. are mast vitality intss-
ssted in the d~vsiopment and manage
ment d railroads were conspicuous by
their absence. After calling attention
Ia the history Of railroad management
In Earope. - given In his last lecture.
he said he thought the impression must
have taken possession d his hearers
minds that the railroad industry wss .
peculiar one and ESSENTIALLY an industry
of the present century.
Il wish rrst of eli a. call your atten-
ton" said the speaker. TO the relation
cf the government 10 the industry II
transportation. To do this | must rap
iiiy run over the history of the United
States. We have held varying and con-
fiieting ideas % the policy which should
IL folloxrd Thosc who nov advocate
government ownership are not aatyan-
eng a new theory. but one which wsw
advocated IN the earliest days Of this
government IL came in with the strong
federal sentiment which came into power
With tho birth Of the nation wish
right here 10 say that sentiments change
80 rapidly on this subject that nc ono
can be- sure that the sentiment which
prevails today in favor q government
control will be lasting. All Ne can do In
u study the question and be prepared Ia
act wi-ely when the time does como thai
. settled policy Is 10 be carried out
Is's an Oh sahjecs.
The railroad era came in. a. you veil
know, IN Ism. but the government hal
been troubling itself about internal
transportation long before steam was
applied ~ the motive power. IL was a.
be- expected that the party 81 OCss
construction would drop government
control. but wc ind that when JeferSon
came tn BIZ president the policy Of inter
nal Improvement by the government " a.
continued. Albert Gallatin. secretary Of
the treasury under Jedcrson. submitted
q scheme for internal improvement which
comprehended oil Of the settled portions
Of the United States. He proposed =
turnpike road from Albany TO Atlanta
He also planned for the government to
build canals across tho peninsula 81 tho
Atlantic coast ~ ~ 10 provide pracii.
cally an inland waterway for sioops from
Boston 10 the coast Of Georgia He
proposed to improve the rivers 1t tho
east coast. a. far as possible. % build
turnpikes over the mountains. and ~
improve the tributaries 81 the Ohio
river ~ that IL would be possible a. send
even heavy freight from the seaboard b.
any point along the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers. There was an annual
surplus in tho treasury 81 E.DUOUp.
and II Vas proposed ID take the money
and make some great Improvement. sell
the completed work TO some corpora.
ton. and with the proceeds continue 10
make other improvements. The var OF
1912 prevented the great plan from
being carried out. At one time the
question II internal improvements was
the leading question IN presidential
campaign. but the veto al the Cumber-
land road ball by Monroe and the veto
% the Maysville road bill by Jackson
put an end On the clamor for internal
improvements Both presidents held
that II was not the province 81 the f'sl-
eral government To- control internal i'm
prov.ments. but that IL vas the province
Of the sovereign states
AL Wanted lsaiiroadA-
In $50 new era began and with 10
came railroads From $50 tn 1870 the
states esp~rimented with the question.
In is.si the frat legislature established .
commission for internal improvements.
Tins commission surveyed four lines
srrus~ the southern part % the state and
would have provided one mile Of rail
road for each thirty voters But. N re
suited in Belgium. the people clamored
for railroad To their back door and no
representative could bc returned the
sscond term who had not secured q rail
road Tor his constituents. 10 other states
IN. great activity IN tins direction was
noticed
In this period the Ere canal was
tult and IN ten years n had not only
pa.i the expenses ~ operation. but had
PAID the original Investment When
this vas known all the states ei.hesi n
have q grea; canal system. but the rail
roads came and the canal MAS no longer
~ profitable. IL ws. m this period that
New York became cosmopolitan mo
trupolls
es,sn enough CIV lnirtNa tustf'trubSuse
by the state In the state constitutions
adopted ar amended about LAS and
later. 81. safeguard wss placed IN thus
declaring that the state should not i-nd
it, credit FOR the sartherance - private
enterprises or for Internal improvements
Michigan vas the only state. however. in
which a municipality could not is~'se lfs
binds to All . private enterpris, w .
public Improvement The result 1t the
xithdrsNsl q state sid IN building rail
roads lead 20 the formation u great err,
p.,ration- 10 not vi@h you o. nder-
stand that all the internal improve
men.s have h-er bone By private capital
slon- state and national and munici-
Pal ad have h..n given Ia all
railroads The great gifts u and
- the gsrat railway corporations
ARR veil known. IN lssp The municipal
bonds xiven &c the an q railroad build.
ing amounted ~ sc~D0oo.oOo.
Sssx~vum~us uns~~eer~ocA
Tn. discrimination shown by rsilr,ssi
eornp anis> between io,sl and through
freight IA. again csii-d Tor government
ip,rrser~nee. and u has been ieci,isd hy
The court. that the government has the
risk; - regulate rsilrcsi rates This ~
4 pr,,os again that the rsilrs'sd ministry
- PECULIAR. The aies that railroads
Hirhest Of I'll in Lesvening 20