The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-05-07
AFFIRMATIVE.

AFFIRMATIVE.
In these days of advancement new
questions are forcing themselves to
the front. Prominent among these is
the question of transportation. Rail
way systems, representing the most
gigantic combinations of capital the
world has ever witnessed, control the
business of moving passengers and
freight from place to place.; and it is a
significant fact that this control is
exercised entirely in the interest of
individuals.
While it is true that the Govern
ment does not own a single line of
railway, it is equally true that there
is no railway line of any Importance
i'm this country that has not received
Government aid. They have secured
from the Government the right of
Eminent Domain. They have been
authorized to tear down fences, move
barns and houses, destroy lawns and
orchards and even desecrate ceme-
teries. and then have paid no more
damages than the actual worth of
property thus destroyed.
Private enterprise could not con-
struct our great railway systems,
|
the individual and organize corpora
lions. clothed with great powers and
aided by loans of money, land grants
or bonds.
The highways of Rome were built
at public expense. They belonged TO
the state. Whoever controlled them
were rulers of that empire. What
these highways were to Rome and
the Romans, the railroads are to the
people Of the United States. Shall
the people control through their Gov
eminent, or shall corporate monopoly
manage these things for its benefit
only?
The opponents of Government
ownership say, that private manage
ment is speedy and economical, pub
lie management slow and costly.
The only fair example we havs of
public management in this country is
the postal system. Fifty years ago
it took two weeks and cost two shil-
lings to carry a letter from New York
to Ohio. Now it takes one day and
costs two cents and soon will cost but
the half of that sum. NOtwithstand-
ing the change Of administrations
and political corruption it has worked
steadily toward Il minimum Of cost.
BY a comparison of the tolls collect
ed by express companies with postage
rates we see the difference in cost
between public and private owner
ship. The express companies carry
the matter consigned to them on the
same trains along with the mail.
But one can send small packages of
merchandise across the continent for
a few cents postage. The express
companies would charge many times
the actual value of such articles, to
carry the same packages one fourth
that distance.
But in foreign lands we have eX-
amples of what can be done by
Government ownership. In AustrO-
Hungary the rates on government
roads have been reduced TO one half
and in some cases even to one sixth Of
the rates under private ownership.
Yet under these conditions the traffic
so increased that in 1890 it was nearly
fOurfOld of what it had been in 1888,
indicating a gain in two years of over
&. 900, 900. And this was clear profit,
for the railway officials declared that
the operating expenses had not in
creased.
The German State Railway at
Berlin sells yearly tickets for five
mile ride in and out OF the city as
many times a day as you please and
on any train for four dollars and fifty
cents. That means $3.50 miles Of
travel In Kansas that sum of money
would purchase a ticket for $50 miles.
Prof. Frank Parsons, in his work,
"The Peoples Highways complies
statement of facts showing what
could actually be saved TO the public
by Government ownership. Among
the large items of saving are: ''AbOl-
ishing 500 presidents with their stats,
Sd, 600. 600; .abOlishing attorney and
legal expenses, Sl2,000,000; by the
exclusive use of the shortest routes,
S25, 0O0. 600; by abolishing the pass
evil. $50, 600, 600: by abOlishing unjust
rebates and commissions, $50, 000, 600;
by avoiding strikes and developing a
better spirit among employees, Sl5,-
600. 600: by having no rent or interest
to pay, S2S6, 600, 000.n These with
other items just as definite bring the
annual saving up to total Of over
5000, 000,0 900. This is more than the
total amount of gold coin now in the
nation.
One of the most fruitful sources of
trouble for the railroads under private
ownership is strikes. The conflict
continually going on between private
capital and labor over the question of
wages breaks out among the employees
of railway companies. At such times
the business of the locality in which
the strike occurs is completely par
alyZed. But this is not all. Lives
are lost and property destroyed near
ly every year by reason of such labor
disturbances. The U. s. Government
employs thousands of men continually
as postal clerks, mail carriers and
to fill other responsible positions in
our postal system. Yet who ever