Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-04
THE STATS AND rue RAILWAYS.

oughly in favor OF Kerr Hardys sug.
gestlon that all railways should be ma
tionallzed; It would be an excellent
thing for the people II that were done,
Look at the economy that would be ef-
fected II all the railways were under
state control. Fares would be lowered
ana the comfort OF the passengers
would be better looked after"
This, Of course, refers directly to the
English railways but II may be pre-
sumed that It expresses Mr.. Carnegie's
views regarding railways In this coun-
try as well. Ordinarily this would be
termed soclallstlc II not pure dema-
g0gism, but coming from the source
whence II does, from one Of the biggest
capitalists, and perhaps the greatest
philanthropist the world has ever
seen, this charge cannot be made. II Is
very doubtful. indeed. IL state owner
ship Of railways would result In the
benefits here outlined. They have state
railways In France and Germany, but
In no single particular are they superior
to those OF England or America. while
IN many they fan short. state owner
ship would mean more otilcaldom, and
that In large measure means what old
Commodore Vanderbilt said Of the pub
lic "The public be-" In this country
Il would mean not better railway SER
vice. nor greater solleitude for the COM
fort and welfare Of patrons Of the rail-
ways but more patronage for the poll.
tlcian. more voters for the party in
power. And wherein would be the econ
omy? In this country the fixed and
current expenses OF the railways are re-
duced almost 20 the minimum while II Is
we'll known that all branches OF the
government are not run on the theory
of reducing expenses to the minimum;
that the contrary Is the rule,
RallroadIng Is a business and should
be run as such. II the government
could conduct II more economically than
It Is now done which no one believes II
could, II would sim be wrong for It to
do So In the matter OF business un-
dertakings the duty OF the government
is to afford all the freest possible
range, to treat all fairly and alike and
to afford each the protection Of the law.
That is its duty and not to assume
control Of the business. Mr.. Carnegie 4
theory Is equally applicable 10 any In
dustry, great or small, Under II the
government might make steel cheaper
than does the United stateSstee COM
pany. Hut Mr.. Carnegie would scarcely
be expected to advocate this, and he
could doubtless very soon show where
In the government would fail, in fact,
we think he could But could not the
great railroad magnates soon point out
the fallaoy In his argument for state
ownership OF railways? We think they
could.
There Is one phase OF the railway
question that would give some strength
or at least lend plausibility,to his argu-
ment; railways are quasi public corpor-
atoms. They are endowed with some
rights that are peculiarly the preroga-
lives OF the sovereign power In a gov
eminent, particularly is this so In the
matter Of the exercise OF the right Of
eminent domain, And this right Is CIV
en- primarily. for the benefit of the
public. This makes the relation OF the
railway to the public unique. The
railways themselves too frequently lg-
more this fact This justlhes partial
public supervision OF them, but not
state ownership. The solution of the
railway problem II one can be said TO
exist. is In more rigid and constant
exercise OF this supervision. That
there Ia a growing demand for It on the
part Of the public cannot be denied.
The proceedings In the celebrated case
Of the Northern Securities company are
the direct result OF this demand. Just
now the tendency Is to bring the rail-
ways more under the control Of the
state and TO curtail their powers than
It has been In the past. The sentiment
Of the people In this regard is that II
it Is a question whether the railways
shall dictate TO the people or the peo-
pie to the railways, It shall be the lat
ter. That condition Of affairs has not
yet come about, and probably never
will, but this has that the railways
enjoying special and extraordinary
privileges granted by the public. in the
exercise OF them shall be more amen
able TO public interest and sentiment
than they have been. About such de-
mand there Is nothing revolutionary,
nothing drastic. nothing that is not
reasonable and right.