The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-10-04
Government and municipal Owner
ship,


The subject of government ownership
of railroads and municipal ownership of
street railways, gas, electricity, water and
all public utilities steadily gains in public
favor as the people become familiar with
the subject from hearing it discussed,
even in the casual and cautious way the
daily papers venture to mention the
subject.
Notwithstanding the corporations have
secured pretty nearly absolute control of
the public press, the news of current
events, which the censors of the press
must admit into print, suffices to inform
the public in degree of the encroach-
ment upon the rights of the people the
government grants of franchises permit
incorporated and concentrated wealth to
make. Turning over these natural mo.
nopolies to incorporated companies gives
those artificial persons, or incorporated
companies, power to levy tax OIL the
public at their will.
This abuse which is inseparable from
the exercise of unrestrained power is more
and more drawing public attention to it,
irrespective of party, as far as the masses
are concerned.
The great Morgan combination of rail-
roads has aroused public attention and
apprehension more than ever before to
4Ia DoD,,hl;oa.,
and the magazines are calling attention
to the encroachment on the liberties of
the people, colossal combines portend,
and talk seriously of the necessity which
may determine the public to 'socialize'
these public utilities.
Some of these wise statesmen who,
albeit, have but very little wisdom OH the
subject, are appalled, or profess to be, at
the enormous cost, the mountains of debt
the government would be placed under
by the purchase of all the railroads, to
say nothing of other public utilities
In the event of the people determining
to take the roads and operate them under
government management, as the post
office, there is no obligation on the part
of the public to pay the corporations for
the franchises they enjoy. A franchise is
a right which government cannot deed to
a corporation. 1t is the free will of the
people. They are not compelled to ride
on the railroads or to ship a single pound
of freight. Sef-interest induces them to
do so, but the government does not
assume to Compel them. and is powerless
to endow the cor porations it creates with
such right.
This being true, AMI no one will dis
pute it, the railroads, or other corpora
tons controlling natural monopolies
could only sell to the government the
tangible property they possess, which is
the roadbed, track, cost Of grading and
building, the rolling stock, depots. shops
and such real property as a fair cost price
can be placed upon, or for the amount it
would cost the government TO duplicate
them.
The actual cost of the railroads of The
country is placed at about IS, 900, ooo, 900.
Their capitalized debt is placed at
ST. 200, 900 900 or more.
When this problem reaches the point
of being solved by government ownership,
and the concensus of opinion is unmis-
takably moving in this direction, it will
be readily solved, as any other ordinary
business problem.
What length of time may elapse before
this question is ripe for disposing of no
one can say, but from the signs growing
out of the great railroad combine Morgan
and his fellow associates are perfecting
and the signs of public alarm it is caus-
ing, the time may not be at so great a
distance as it might seem. Changes in
the business of the world are moving at
electric speed.
Issuing bonds for the purchase OF rail
roads or for any other public improve
ment is not like mourning war debt,
but would be business investment the
returns from which would pay steadily
till the debt was extinguished. The in
vestment of S.. ,ooo, 900 in the pur-
chase of railroads would not burden the
people with tax, as the $500, ooo, 600 in
bonds needlessly issued by Secretary
Gage to conduct the Spanish Philippine
war.-Nea0 Eya-.Slandatd, Kearney, Neb