The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-26
is maintained exactly as it stands to-
In the matter of making good the
South American revolutionist has the
Russian party beat four city blocks.
A ROTTEN SERVICE

Once more a hoary abuse finds itself
safeguarded through congressional ac-
ton by the power of it's political pull.
People in this part of the country little
know the scandalousness of the army
transport system as maintained by the
government on our Pacific coast.
The exact facts are these During
the war with Spain the government,
partly Of necessity and partly owing to
the fine work of favored individuals,
was inveigled into the purchase of
lot Of old ships to be used on the Pa
cif1c coast in transporting soldiers and
supplies to the Philippines. We need
not quarrel too severely with this act,
which can be defended under the plea
of necessity, although the cost of these
vessels was ridiculously extravagant.
They are old ramshackle things, most
1y foreign built, inconvenient and unfit
for use, immensely costly to operate
and requiring repairs on almost every
paying the purchase price all over
again. No careful government would
dream for a moment of maintaining
these in active service as an emer-
geney measure.
Now these vessels have been oper-
ated by the United States government
at its own cost ever since our occupa-
ton Of the Philippines began. The
war is over. The excuse for extrav-
agance and unwisdom has disappear
ed 1t is now time for the government
to put its own service on a basis Of
efficiency and economy. Private COR
porations on the Pacific coast are
ready to do all the work required for
the government on a contract basis
for fraction of what it costs the gov
ernment to do 1t itself. There is not
the slightest danger of combination,
because this can be provided against
IN the law; and there is still better
safeguard in the sharp competition
and intense local feeling between Seat
tie, Portland, San Francisco and other
coast cities. But the government
against the advice and opinion Of sue
cessiye secretaries of war, perseveres
In operating these numbering old yes
sels and it is estimated that they have
cost from ss5.ooo,eeo to $45,OOo, 600 UP
to date to maintain.
The reason for this is simply the
power Of private graft These trans
ports sail from San Francisco. They
ouy their coal at the high price i'm
posed by the necessity Of transporting
1t from the mines of Washington or
British Columbia. Their constant and
costly repairs are done in San Fran
cisco shipyards to the benefit of local
trade. The transport service is an
enormous plum for the city and state,
and their entire political influence is
bent upon maintaining the abuse. The
United States government itself has
not been strong enough thus far to
shake off the incubus; and the rotten
old ships Of the government continue
to ply across the Pacific, spending mil
lions upon millions of the peoples
money unnecessarily as the price of a
political pull. While the government
at Washington is engaged in imposing
It's own ideas in other matters upon a
reluctant or hostile congress, it might
| engage in campaign Of education
against the army transport service,
which is one Of the grossest of exist
ing abuses.