The evening times., 1900-09-25

Senator Pettigrew of South Dakota, in a
letter TO friend in Washington whose
political opinions are Populistic, says:
The growth of the sentiment in favor of
the naturalization of public utilities is
great This sentiment appears to be par
ticularly prominent as applied to the Gov
ernment ownership of steam raiioads and
the telegraph
The Peoples Party platform adopted at
Sioux Falls. S. D.. May 10, 1900,
contains this paragraph on the subject
referred to by Mr. Pettigrew: 'Transpor-
tation being a means OF exchange and
public necessity, the government should
own and operate the railroads in the in
terest of the people and on non-partisan
basis to the end that all may be accorded,
the same treatment in transportation, and
that the extortion, tyranny, and political
power now exercised by the great rail-
road corporations. which result in the i'm
pairment, if not the destruction, OF the
political rights and the personal liberties
CT the citizen, may be destroyed. Such
ownership is TO be accomplished in a man
her consistent with sound public policy.
Trusts. the oyershadowing evil OF the age,
are the result and elimination of the pri-
vate ownership and control OF the three
great instruments of commerce-money,
transportation. and the means OF trans
mission of informatfon-which instru-
ments of commerce are public functions,
and which our forefatheTs declared n the
Constitution should be controlled by the
people through their Congress for the
public welfare
The id-ROaders' platform, adopted at
Cincinnati May 10 contains the follJw-
rIa 80 faIErTfa T-tgJ in
and operation of these means Of commu-
nication. transportation, and production
which the people may elect, such as rail
reads telegraph, and telephone HnSs,
coal mines etc
The Democratic platform contains the
following:
Corporations should be protected in
all their rights. and their legitimate in
terests should be respected, but any at
tempt by corpOrationE to interfere with
the public affairs Of the people or TO
control the sovereignty which creates
them should be forbidden under such
penalties as will make such attemp
impossible We favor such an enlarge
ment of the scope of the Interstate
Commerce law as will enable
the Commission TO protect individuals
and communities from determinations
and the public from unjust and unfair
transportation rates.
The Republican platform is silent as
to railroads and the telegraph. In its
brief para graph the subject OF trusts
this occurs: We recognize the necessity
and propTiety of the honest cooperation
of capital to meet new business condi-
tions.
Bill for Public Ownership.
There was introduced in the Senate al
.he last session of Congress bill con
templating the naturalization of the
railroads of the United States.
The preamble proceeded upon the the
ory that the administration of the rail-
ways is a function of government and that
as a result the application of equal treat
ment TO all corporations and citizens re
suits under our form Of Government, in
asmuch as the Constitution declares that
all are entitled TO the equal protection of
the laws.
1t then proceeded to set forth the dis
ordinations and the failure of regulation
both State and Nation, and at length sets
forth the benefits which it is thought
would follow public ownership.
The first section of the bill provided
that the Interstate Commerce Commission
after being sworn Il commission of
awards should proceed to appraise the
value OF all the railways engaged in inter
state commerce and as post roads The
Commission was given about TWO years of
take into account the average market
value of the railways engaged during the
last five years-the method adopted in
Switzerland-and especially to compute
the total sales upon the stock market of
Donds and stocks of each road at the
prices given, and from these aggregate
sales deduce the average market value of
the stocks and bonds
1t was then directed having appraised
all of the railways to make an aggregate
report to the President and to file the ap-
praisement for each railroad in the United
States in the circuit court for the district
in which the particular railroad might
have its principal office. The report of
the appraisers was to state not only the
aggregate valuation Of the stocks and
bonds but the value of each share and
each bond under the appraisement Of the
commission
This bill was referred and was ac-
corded the courtesy of a hearing Then
it expired. st the hearing, though. a
great deal of information of interest
was developed from the principal wit
ness. David j Lewis. a lawyer, of CGm-
berland, Md BY way of a preface Mr.
Lewis said:
"Inasmuch as there seems to be
great deal of misunderstanding relative
to the valuation of the railroads l
should like to submit a few statements
to this committee. There are three
methods of regarding the subject The
first is from the standpoint OF the total
stock and bond issues of all the rail-
ways which now. nOminally, aggregate
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