The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-04

are: Edward Whitaker, President;
Charles D. Mcclure, Vice President;
James Adkins, Secretary and Treas
urer. It is unders TODD that a system
of transfers will be made at once, and
a 5 cent fare will carry a passenger all
over she Lindell system, on n contin-
uous journey. The deal puts the street
car lines Of the town entirely in the
control of the three s~yndicates."
While the average person would only
regard the above as a passing bit OF
news, there is much deep significance
in it for a thoughtful person and
who is looking into the future, as we'll
as the present condition OF his country.
It implies the present tendency IN Gus
mess to concentrate and incorporate,
diverse and distinct business lnstItu
tons under one head and management.
It also leads to greater individual pos
sessions, with corresp0ndingly IN
creased arbitrary power. While SUCH
changes do not imply an immediate
serious loss to the community, they co
involve some serious complications for
the future. The community contributes
to the wealth Of a few individuals
whose wealth is only multiplied as time
e on. a little bait is thrown cut in
the nature Of a transfer system to
appease the public; but aside from this
a few individual fortunes which are
derived from the travelling public are
the only ostensible benefits OF the eys ]
ten o. absolute individual ownership,
Competition simply becomes a futile
I fort in the direction of opposition. /.
The labor system employed in the oper
alton Of such terms is a serious sufferer !
in the case. II an employee is dis
charged from one line for some petty |
cause he is black listed, and has no op- |
portunity to employment on any other
road in the city. By means Of the ab
sence of competition, labor is employed
by one ofi2i head and the salaries are
according to the taste of men who are !
interested in personal profits only. OF
course q little policy is exercised to &C
commodate the public and show other |
forms OF favor to create sentiment
favorable to the perpetuity of such q
form of investment and ownership,
Notwithstanding the temporary evil
effects Of a single, consolidating spirit
on the part Of the ownership of such
public utilities, 1 see an advantage in it
all, which the public will eventually
profit by, and that is that when the city
gets rec dy to own it's own street rail
ways it will be easier to come into pos
session of them from one set Of men
than from q dozen set. The ultimate
solution to such changes will be the
municipal ownership, and when this
comes a monopoly will be established
where the whole city will reap the ben
eficiary results. The city can pay the
employees who operate sill the trains a
better compensation for services than
they are getting now, as well as charge
the public the minimum of cost for
transportation. Just suppose, for in
stance, that the salaries OF mOtormeD
and conductors were raised SO 8
month, with favorable reductions in the
hours of labor, would this not prove in
itself a wonderful stimulus to the mer- ]
chants OF the city, particularly among /
grocers, butchers, rental agencies ano
the like9 AZ it is a great deal OF the
capital or profits thus made goes to
those who invest it t add t their own
wealth, and place it in channels where
it is applied to usury-a curse to ku-
manity. Think of the profits thus
made that go to England and foreign
countries where our own people have
no part whatever in the enjoyment
thereof. D NJ. TODD.
nNAgARRRERWEMAH