The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-03-22
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
Frank Carpenter Tells How New Zealand
Conducts Its Railway Syrtem, which
Is Owned by the Governments

Conducts Its Railway Syrfem, which
Is Owned by the Governments
Frank Carpenter, the famous journ-
alist and correspondent, who is now in
New Zealand, writes interestingly of
that country to his papers here. In
part he says:
The head OF this government is the
Hon. Richard Seldom. He is more its
president than Mckinley is the presi-
dent of the United States. He is the
leader of the house, and he almost con-
trolls parliament He can to a certain
extent make his own laws, and he is
pushing forward new schemes Of all
kinds without regard to precedent or
history. 1t is be who for years has
been at the head of the socialistic
movements il New Zealand. He is the
man behind the new laws which relate
to labor and capital, and at the head Of
the party which is now cutting up the
large unproductive land holdings of
the rich and dividing them at the low
est possible rates of ownership require
ments among the poor"
Regarding government ownership
and control Of railroads there he says:
"The conversation here turned to
some of the. new movements in New
Zealand, and L asked the premier about
the government control of the rail
roads, Said 1:
"Yoar excelIency, you have been q
railroad man from the ground up. You
have worked in the shops. You have
run an engine and you have had to do
with all sorts of railroad construction.
You are now the chief manager Of a
government which has built its own
railroads and to which the railroads
belong. Do you think it best for the
government to own the railroadsS"
sYes, 1 do" said the New Zealand
premier at il the only way in which
the railroads should be owned aud
operated. We believe the roads are
for the people, and we are managing
them in the interests of the people
and for the development of the country
in that way which will best help all
the people. We are not trying to make
profit out of them, and, as our rev
enues increase, we steadily reduce
freight rates and passenger fares. We
are already giving-an excursion rates of
penny a mile to parties, aud we ex-
pect to cut down the fares right along,
We are giving reduced rates to work
ingmen going to aud from work. We
use the trains to bring the school
children to and from school free of
charge, aud we have excursion trains
TO take the school children now and
then out over the country and give
them practical geography lessons. We
send out such trains which gives ex
cursions of 100 miles for 50 cents per
child. This is just about the extra
cost of running such trains, and any
school can be taken OF on vacation
or on an instructive excursion at that
rate upon the request Of the teacher"
"But how about using such large
bodies of men IN government employ?
1 should think that your service on the
railroads, in telegraph offices and in
your many other public institutions
would be largely affected by the fact
that it is governmental. Do not the
clerks vote to keep your party in pow
er, and can you not make them do SOP"
81 don't think there has been any
attempt to do anything OF that kind,
and I doubt if it could succeed. We
have rigid civil service rules and we
maintain them. The people can see
that we are lettering the country aud
they will keep rs in Office as long as We
are working for their good.
"Do yon think the United States can
ever have a successful control of the
railroads."
: IT don't see Why not replied Pre-
mler Seldom. Congress might take
over the railroads at their market
value, paying for than with govern
ment bonds. Much cash would not be
needed, for the holders OF the railroad
bonds would be glad to exchange them
for government bonds. I think your
government could run the railroads
With much more benefit to the people,
and that the time will come when your
Door,Io -f1I demand that IL do 50 y