Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-31
COMPARE THE TWO.
STATE VS.. CORPORATE OWNER
SHIP OF r. r. DISCUSSED.
John Davis Comes Back at Ripley and
Cites Instances to Show That Public
Ownership, Where Tried, has PE0ven
Successful and Satisfactory.

eneSJer ~. l., says
"But Mr.. Ripley does not content
himself with a priori considerations to
make out case against government
ownership. He cites the testimony OF
countries that have had long and
thorough trial of it A report on the
subject in India says that state man
agement of railroads is not profitable
or desirable A report of the govern
ment of New South Wales says that 1T
is subject for debate whether it has
been for the good Of4Australia that
railroad enterprise has been kept in
the hands of the government The
report of this Holland investigating
commission says that 'the operation OF
railroads is private business not a
state function, adding that govern
ment functionaries would never obtain
results comparable to private industry.
1t may be added in conclusion that SO
unsatisfactory have been the state
railroads in Brazil that the government
has decided to sell them. Is it not as
tonishing that in the face of such ar
guments and such experience, there
should be any one in the United States
to advocate the schemes?"
The editor of the Pc, doubtless,
regards the case as settled, and inn
AGNES that his readers will think the
idea of government ownership of rail-
ways as the ranlsest kind of lunacy, to
be cured only by the fagot or the rope.
The truth of the matter is about as
follows: In every country mentioned
it has been the policy of the capitalists
to permit or induce the government to
build, or, in the same way to pay for
building of all the railroads; and, then,
TO induce the government to surrender
them into the hands of corporations.
And, so wiley and influential are they,
that, too often, they succeed in their
designs. Their first step in this line is
usually through the daily and weekly
press; and, even in the official railway
reports, they seek to discredit govern
ment management of railways. This
is the policy of the corporations in most
countries.
Take the cases cited, one by one. In
India, it is reported that state manage
ment of railroads is not profitable or
desirable. In other words, the state
does not squeeze so much money out
of the people Or the railway employees
MS the corporations can, and, hence,
the financial showing is the weak
point of attack and discredit In In
dia the common people ride on the
roads at quarter of a cent per mile.
Is there any such showing as this un-
der corporate management of roads in
any other part of the world? Here in
Kansas we pay twelve times as much
for riding in caboose on the tail end
of freight train. The hand that
wrote that India report was working
in the interest of the corporations, try
ing to discredit the government man
Rgement of railroads in that country.
That report is the voice of corporation
greed.
In New South Wales, the state man
agement Of railroads is "a subject of
debate" And it may be added that it
is SO in every other country where the
corporations do not control the roads.
When the corporations get them, then
it is intended that all debate shall
cease! The lion and the lamb are at
peace, the lamb inside.
The corporations then tell us that
the government surrendered the roads
because the operation of the railroads
is a private business, and not a state
function, adding that, government
functionaries would never obtain re-
suits comparable toprivate industry!
In other words, the government em-
ploys more men, at better wages. with
shorter hours and charges the public
less for services, ana hence does not
show such results as do the greedy and
parsimoious corporations.
Holland is cited as an example of the
failure of state management The
state has owned in Holland less than
one Thousand miles of road. The coun-
try of Holland is about one-fortieth
the size Of Kansas. And yet, with all
the discreditiug power and discrimina-
tions of the adjacent corporation roads,
state management in Holland is not a
failure.
In Brazil the government either
built direct, or, guaranteed the profits
on all the roads, and the constant effort
has been to induce the government to
make a complete surrender to the cor
porations And, now, it is said that
the government has decided to sell the
roads. The statement may be false,
wholly or in part, but it is part of the
usual discrediting scheme practiced by
our modern barons, who desire TO levy
tribute at will on all the worlds indus
tries, by controlling the agencies of