Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1903-02-05
Government Ownership OF PAIL
R0odS. by nENJ.6.WELcH.

government OWnGrSI VI koA-
Roods. by nENJ.G.wELch.
OF the financial ability of the gov
ernment to build railroads there can
be no doubt as it furnished Bonds
enough to build the Union Pacific
and the Central Pacific Railroads be-
side the land it gave them. Of the
millions of dollars made out of them
by private spectators all of US know
somewhat who are old enough to re-
member it, and that remarkable fn-
ancial organization the Credit Mo-
biler to which it gave rise with all
its attendant scandals. The govern
ment gave the Northern Pacific land
ed estates sufficient to build it and
less money values would have been
needed if it had been really a nation
al work. Canada furnished money
and land enough to build the Cana
dian Pacific r. r. and private indi-
viduals own it. Of engineering
skill we have the undeniable proof
by the employment of government
military engineer to take charge OF
the construction of the most remark
able work that has been attempted
and that is the entrance of the Penn
sylvania R. r. into New York.
Then here is the positive testimo-
nd, not guess work, that the govern
ment has both the means and skill
needed for this work. The ability
of the whole country is at its service
as in the civil war. If we mistake
not Thomas A. Scott was called to be
Secretary of War and Frank Thom-
son as Supt. of Military Railroads.
We are not quite positive on this
subject but we do know that they en-
tered the government service for that
particular part of the work. Just as
able material is available now and
more of it.
The Panama Canal must necessa-
riIy be national undertaking in
volving hundreds of millions Of dol
lars for construction and millions for
its maintenance. The Government
will prove to competent. for the task.
The new cable to Hawaii was laid in
a few weeks because the Government
had done the engineering that mark
ed its path across the Pacific.
If the question is one of the man
agement of details the doubter should
be able to satisfy himself if he will
stop to think of the ramifications of
governmental business that go into
all lands, every trade, every Ian
guage, every material, every science
and everything else and does it sue
cessfully.
Is he doubts the accounting, can
he indicate any business of any sort
conducted by human intelligence
that is more thoroughly audited and
that compels the accounting of every
cent in money and every cent in val
ue of material. For illustration of
which may we mention the fact that
the water in which the employees of
the mint wash their hands is anal
yzed for its precious metal. The
same infinite accuracy runs through
all parts of its processes. 1t is fin
ancially profitable too in all that it
does and makes a substantial busi-
ness profit in coming money for
other nations as it does in every
thing it undertakes honestly.
1t seems to the writer that the in
telligence and skill that deals so
successfully with the multifarious af-
fairs of a national government like
ours, and does it successfully, GER
tainly must have ability enough to
manage one of the divisions of in
dustrial need that forms only a part
of the grand whole. Surely the whole
is greater than any one ofits parts!