Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-04-03
COMMUNICATED.


Allow me to say word ia reply to
the article signed I. V. r published
last Saturday on tle subject OF govern
meut ownership of what the author
OF the er,icle 10 question is pleased to
term "stricIly business enterprises" >"
The article ct arts out with the stale
mel that "DatioDal, State, or corpora
t Oh ownership OF strictly business en.
terDrises should be avoided"
II this proposition were carried to It's
conclusion, prat tcslly all government
would be turned over to private psriiee.
For there are few fuu cliobs of govern
ment t 1at are u, t business enterprises.
Take the most importai of oil
governmental fuuctions-the power
of tsxatiop. l. not tits q
busint So enterprise? Is there an enter.
prise, ther governmental or private In
IS nature that mas any more relation
| to business than the raising of revenue
| for the support OF government ? And
/ agsin, where is there a more "tt t-lcsly
business enterprise" than tle issuing OF
money? And 10 T. V. h. willing to
| turn the function of Issuing money over
TO private parties?
The article cites the postoffice 90 be-.
ing an example of the inferiority OF
public over pIivst9 ownership. b..
states t1, at present the postmaster OF
Alexandra receives a salary OF 81 90
per snnum, while uHder priv,t' con-
troll he would receive only sbout 81 coo
doubt very much whether II would be
poss, BILE TO obt ,in q comp tent msn to
| fll sucf responsible position ss thst
for much less than tle salary be now
receives. But let t1st be- as il may, l
think 1t can be proved tltt he running
expenses Of the po' flee dep0it Deni
is much less under public ownership
aud control tlsn t won Id he
u0der privrt3 ownership aod cor
I ol. Aud think il T. V. r.
will take the trouble TO make an TO-
! vsstigation be will End that the salaries
paid by private corporations are 10 sen.
eral much greater than the salaries paid
bv the government. Tsks for instance
the . simas er-eeDersl WHO receives a
salary of $1,000 per anDum. Tnis is
much less tupo the salary OF the presl-
dent OF any considerable corporation 10
the country. There Is hardly rail road
or banking president In the country
out who gets at least S25. 900 per an
nun, and 10 many cases the salaries
OF the heads of private corporations
/ run no into the huodreds OF housanf 8
| the PRESIDENT OF the steel trus, receiv-
| log 81 ,000 900 per anhum. But leaviOg
ont tue running expensee of the organ
| iZ ton, publ c ownership is VOL r
tul saving ID the people and tlink by
the time L. V. Il. paid five ce0ts each
Tor the mailing OF a dCzsn letters be
would also come 10 that conclusion.
+. V. K. says that government owner
ship OF the railroads and tsleRrapbs
would create a tremendous power n
politics. They could cert Iinly not ex-
o. t greater power in politics than the y
| do now. There is not legislative body
10 our entire couIt Try, from the Con-
gress of the United st,tes down to the
! Common Council of the smallest town,
t lat is exempt from railroad irhGeDc'
and under governmei control t1ey
could not exert a greater Influence
than does our POI flee depart nent al
tle present time.
As to the proposition to transfer the
lighting plaI ts of Alexandria 10 pri
vale syndicate, allow me to say that the
ten years lease is merely foreruuner
of proposition for compltts owner
ship. And l believe ali our ctizsni
think the CITY made a greet mittakG
when the water plart was transferred
t) privtta psItes. All know thai
prices uoder priVst, ownership are
much higher than under public owner
ship, aud think tle council will make
great mistake IT 1t accepts tae propo'
sition of this syndicate.
HOWARD T. COLVIN,