The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30

would stand the strain of from each
according to his ability, to each accord
ing to his needs" More of us might be
socialists if we did not believe that the
most of us would be shirks, under fa-
vorable circumstances, and il we did
not sec better solution Of the problem.
Our patent law system should be re-
vised or abolished. But the worst evils
of trusts are not occasioned by patents.
Our tariff legislation, as well as our
system Of internal taxation, fosters
trusts and adds greatly to their evils.
They, with all kinds of indirect taxes,
must be abolished before we can stop
plundering ON magnificent scale. Oui
Sugar, Steel Rail, Steel Billet, Nail
and Window Glass trusts are samples
of those that are almost entirely tariff
trusts. They might exist were there no
tariff, but itwould be only because they
can produce more economically than can
small producers They could no longer
make exorbitant monopoly profits.
What are termed natural monopo
lies" can best be dealt with either by
government ownership or control or by
taxing them to death. Municipal own
ership of gas, water and electric light
plants has everywhere demonstrated its
superiority to private ownership. 1t
should be greatly extended and should
include docks and perhaps also grain
elevators and telephones. Railroads,
like rivers, canals and public highways,
are natural monopolies and should be
owned and operated or owned and leased
for short periods by federal, state and
municipal governments. There is no
other way of keeping monopoly profits
from going into private pockets or of
giving the public the full benefit of ou1
iron and steel highways. Discriminate
ing rates to preferred or favored ship
pers will cease only when private own
ership ceases.
Discriminating rates, it should be
noted, are responsible for some Of our
greatest trusts. But for them the Stand
ard Oil and Beef and Coal trusts might
never have been born. Under govern
mental ownership all shippers would
be treated alike, and the millions of dol
lars that have been returned as draw
backs to favored shippers and are today,
in violation of federal laws, being re-
turned to the Sugar, Beef, Oil and Iron
Ore trusts, would be saved to nontrust
shippers Practically all of the unearned
and undeserved profits Of the Beef and
Standard Oil trusts have come from al
liances with transportation companies.
The fear Of a governmental or Office
holding oligarchy is bugaboo kept be-
fore the people by those who are giving
81, 900 bribes to legislators with one
hand and are pocketing 1000, 600 mo-
nopoly profits (largely stock jobbing
ones) with the other hand. There is
more political corruption where such
natural monopolies us gas and water
works, steam and street railways, are in
private hands than where they are I'M
der public control. The armies OF post
masters and public school teachers are
not as great a menace to good govern
ment as are the officers of railroads who
deal III public grants and municipal
franchises and who are constantly max
ing and unmaking officeholders, max
ing favorable and disregarding unfavor.
able legislation.
or less natural monopolies and should
perhaps be entirely or partly owned and
operated by government. There is more
justification for public telegraph and
telephone system today than there was
| for a public postal system 100 years ago
or than there is now.
There remains but one great class Of
trusts-those owning mines of coal, oil,
ore, borax, etc. Undoubtedly the best
way to loosen the grip Of these trusts is
by taxation, either in the form of roy
alties or in the form Of land value tax
es. If Pennsylvania would increase tax
es ON her coal and oil lands until the
full rental value of every acre of these
valuable lands was taken in taxation,
what would happen? No corporation OF
league of corporations could afford to
pay these taxes and hold mines idle to
restrict production. The Reading rail
road combine, which now owns prac-
tically all Of the anthracite coal lands
Of this country and has them mort
gagged for several hundred millions Of
dollars, would be compelled at once to
sell or give away all Of the mines that
it could not work at profit. Hundreds
of small corporations and mining COM
panies would at once form; competi-
tion, stopped i'll the early seventies,
would again appear; twice as much coal
would be mined; there would be
great demand for miners; wages would
rise as high or higher than they were
in 1870; miners would cease to be
slaves; corporation stores would disap-
pear; the price Of hard coal would be
only one-half or two-thirds Of present
prices in eastern states; both producers
and consumers would, i'll fact, be i'm
mensely benefited by such taxation.
Not only could Pennsylvania meet all
Of her expenditures from the taxation
of her miIfes (and thereby Tighten the
burden Of taxation on her citizens). but
her politics would be much less corrupt
than now.
The same cause applied in other states