The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-08-02
HERE'S THE REMEDY.

GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP A
CURE FOR STRIKES.
The Idea That the Government Can't Run
the Railroads Is a Delusion There
Would lie No Throat-Cuttins COMPETE
tion-Fare. Would BE Uniform.
After the Strike. What:
The Chicago Times winds up long
article under the above heading as fol-
lows:
But more than tina, The Times believes that
this strike. with It's orig II III private greed.
ana Its attendant INJURY To the general public
most completely demonstrates taat private
management OF railroads wholly ludefelisl-
bic and Il ploved failure. Since these railroad
corporations run To the United states for aid
every time the :iut,.cratlc Incompetence ~
their managers gets them into Trouble. ANA
since the invirlable dee i'll every con To-
rer>y with their employees Is that the work
must be done lest the puo.ic suffer. many pc,
pie Will believe that the pubic. throu III the
Cnitet States Government. should take the
roads and run them Itself Itself. There
VIII he strikes. EoycOtt> and tleup> lon. .ts
railroads are left III private ownership.
This, says the Nonconformist, is I'M
uoubtedly the logical conclusion and
the public mind is rapidly fastening
to it AS the only way out. Already
there is move in Congress to that
end and sooner or later we will have
to come to it. The idea that the Gov
eminent cant run the railroads is i
delusion. In other countries the rail
roads are successfully managed by the
Government and it can he done in this
just as we'll. We alrerdv see the i'll
cipiency OF the business in the ease of
receiverships which are managed 10y
the Federal courts. Ii they can run
the roads temporarily in this way. they
can run them permanently in the other.
Government ownership would mean the
putting of all the lines under one
central head. Competent subordlnates
would have control of the various sys-
tens. Eirst-class talent could easily
be found to do all the work at reason
able salaries. Fancy salaries with
pOmpOus officials attached would be
| abolished. Under Government owner
ship there would h.: no throat cutting
competition of rival lines: pooling and
rate-cutting would be abolished: scalp.
ers and other mildle-men would be nc
more. Fares would be uniform and
based on the principle of making
everybody pay. The deadbeat system
would have to go. The professional
Lobbyists would he out of jobs. Uncle
! Sam would not find it necessary to
bride Legislatures and Congress or t.
keep costly lawyers under pay t.
watch his interests. All useless ex
penses would be done away with anG
! strictly business principles intro
| uuced. WOrkmen would be employed
ON merit under fixed rules and would
hold their places during good be
hayior, the only test being com .eten
cv and fidelity in the public employ
There would be no quarrel between
employers and employees, no strikes
no holding up of trains, no complaint:
of discrimination in rates. no charge.
of favoritism, no waterel stock and ex
ira tax on the public to meet the same
In short the railroads woul,
be managed just as the post
office department is, for the publ,
welfare, the principle being the hes
possible service for the least possible
money. While revenue could be de
rived for the Government, that woult
not be the main end. Nobody eve
hears of strike in the Postotfice De
partment. The two ends of that vas
establishment never come into coils
ion. The carriers never find it neces
sary to walk out except on thei
beats to deliver mail. And yet loo]
how smoothly this immense machin
is run throughout the length an,
breadth of this great nation. Their
Is no fric ion and no trouble. Tn
public is we'll served and we'll pleased
While the salaries are not high tn
tenures are fixed and certain and Their
is no dissatisfaction. The head of thi
great national department only get
$4,000 year, salary at whic
any of our pompous railway president
would turn up their noses. Deepen
upon it. Mr.. Striker. and everybod
else. Government ownership is tn
way out. and the only satisfactory con
clu>ion of this vexed problem. An
to this com, lexicon must we come ;
last.