Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-28

private corporations at all? Is
| it not rather true that this
consolidation is step in the direction
of state ownership of Industrial enter
prise? Is not grave crisis at hand in
which there will be decisive struggle
between the forces of indiyidualism
and socialism,, of property and of num-
/ bers.
1T is quite within the limits of pos
sibility that many of these enterprises
the immediate future; but it is highly
improbable that this tendency toward
consolidation is increasing the dangers
of a conflict between individualists and
/ socialists. It's net effect is to diminish
these dangers by making the question
of state ownership relatively unimport-
ant to the public as a whole. This may
seem like surprising statement, but
there are a great many facts TO justify
1t. There has been of late years in con-
Injection with these movements toward
dPpip-AAiieteAcii -
/ character between private and public
4 business. Formerly the two We're
SHARPLY distinguished today their
methods are much closer to one an
bother. Private business can do little
more than pay interest on the capital
Involved, because of the increased in
gtensity of modern competition. Public
business can do no less than pay in
Iterest on capital involved, because of
the increased vigilance of the taNpay-
lels: for the taxpayers will not tolerate
ia deficit Which increases their burdens.
but obviously the position of a con-
Esumer toward a private business which
pays less than A per cent, is not likely
ITO be Very different from his position
toward a public business which must
pay more than 3. The distinction from
/, la financial standpoint is thus reduced
if we look at the matter from the OPP
erating standpoint. The officers of a
! large private corporation have almost
ceased to come in direct contact with
+, the stockholders: and to a nearly equal
! degree our public administrative Off
cials who actually do the work have
j ceased to come into contact With the
!, voters. The private officer no Longer
seeks simply to please the individual
group of investors; the private official
no longer strives simply to please the
!, Individual group of politicians. The
q mora completely the principles of civil
), service reform are carried out, ths
. closer does the similarity become. Tn
5 der these circumstances the characte,
. of good public business and good pri-
waite business becomes so nearly aliks
! that it makes comparatively little diff
II ference TO most of us whether an enter
: prise is conducted by our voters or b,
our financiers.
"A The idea thus advanced is a new one
n and. as The author suggests. Will ap
- pear somewhat surprising, yet il is no
9 without plausibility The public afte
ce all is interested only in that part of a
Of enterprise with which il comes in con
a. tact If a service is better and cheape
E or even Just as good and cheap as un
& der state ownership the whole argu
m nent Of the socialist falls to the groun
j and his audience even leaves hin
81 President Hadley's article viii repa
az any one for the reading
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