The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-11
Three World Problems


Lincoln, Neb., Nov. 5.-Each locality
has its questions of interest; each state
has subjects which arouse discussions;
each nation has it's issues of paramount
importance, and he world has it's
problems. There are transient ques-
lions which come and go and questions
which, like Tennyson's brook, Ego. on
and on forever" Each generation, in
each country, meets the issues present.
ed by conditions, but all the nations
Of the earth are constantly graphing
with problems universal in their scope
and everlasting in duration. In his
famous Grafton at Gettysburg. Abra-
ham Lincoln spoke of an unfinished
work which those buried there had
promoted, and to which the living
should dedicate themselves. Every gen
GRAFTON finds unfinished work when it
enters upon .ifes-stage and leaves the
work unfinished when 1t departs.
The work of civilization is ever an
unfinished one for the reason that new
problems present themselves as soon
as present. ones have been solved. In
our trip around the world, we have
had an opportunity to note some of the,
problems which most concern all people
at all times. The first concerns the
legitimate sphere of the government
what should the government, acting for
all the people do, and what should be
left to the Individual? This subject is
Under consideration in every civilized
nation, and no two nations have
reached the same solution.
At@the two extremes stand the indi-
vidualist and the socialist-the former
jealousy guarding the individual and
opposing any entertainments upon his
sphereqOf action, the latter emphasize
ing the work of the state and seeking
to+co1vert the work of production and
the. work of distribution into state
functions. Between these extremes
stand the mass of the people, govern
ed',more by the eXigencieS of each in
dividual case than by the theories put
forward by individualist and social
ist, In some directions the countries
f.Europe and Asia have extended the
sphere Of government beyond any
thing known in the United States, in
some respects our government has en-
larged the sphere of the state beyond
anything attempted in the old world,
but everywhere the tendency is to eX-
tend rather than to diminish the
sphere of the states activities.
In limited States the public
school is probably the best illustra-
tion of extensive cooperation on the
part of the public We regard the edus
cation of the people as a matter of
public importance-so vital matter
i'm fact, that we no longer depend upon
the private school. The private school
has its place, and its establishment is
encouraged by localities and regarded
with favor by the government but the
people. acting as a whole, insist that
the school door shall be open to every
child born into the country. In the
last quarter OF a century much advance
has been made in the establishment by
the public of technical schools, such as
law schools, medical colleges, dentistry
schools, industrial schools and agricul-
turaI colleges Probably the greatest
comparative advance has been made
in the matter of agricultural colleges
and experiment stations. In Europe
the public school system is spreading
more rapidly in northern than in south
ern Europe. In Asia the people are
just beginning to recognize education
as a public Junction. part of the
states work. In Japan public inStruc-
ton has for some years been modelled
after the systems employed in the
United States and Europe. In Asia the
public school is of a more modern
origin, but some idea of the rapidity
with which the public school is spread
ing in China may be known from the
fact that 1000 public schools have been
established within five years in the dis
trict of one of the viceroys.
Municipal ownership presents another
phase of this subject; a century ago
comparatively few cities in this coun-
try or Europe owned their own water
works: now it is the exception that any
city of any size relies upon private
corporation for its water supply. City
lighting is having the same history, al
though municipaliZatiOn began later
than with the water works Now comes
the question of street car lines, and as
the same principles apply, the same in
evitable trend toward municipal own
ership is noticeable. The experience of
all the cities has been practically the
same; first. liberal franchises to induce
the establishment of water, light or
street car plants; second efforts at
regulation and restriction, made futile
by the corrupt influence OF the fran
chise companies; third, municipal own
ership as a protection TO the people and
as a means Of purifying politics. In
the extent TO which municipal owner
ship has been carried Great Britain
leads the world. although in other
countries, some cities like Vienna have
rivaled the cities Of Great Britain.
In nearly all of the countries of Eu-
rope and Asia the telegraph lines are
now owned by the government, and i'm
most OF the cities the telephone sys-
tenn IS also owned by the public. 1t is
hardly necessary to say that in all
countries of any standing the mail
service is now in-the hands of the gov
eminent. There Is very noticeable
growth in the government ownership
of railroads. Many years ago the gov
eminent ownership of railroads was
tested in various European nations, and
the tendency toward the extension OF
government mileage and the diminu-
ton OF the mileage Of privately owned
roads has been constant. In some
countries there is still competition be-
tween the government lines and the
lines owned by private corporations
but experience leaves no doubt that
the lines owned by the government will
ultimately supplant the roads in private
hands. Switzerland has within -four
years purchased the main railroad sys-
TEN within her territory; Japan has
within a year extended the government
railroads by purchasing some of tho
roads in private hands and the Indian
government is planning IL absorb more
.al.- 1,,.-r,.d limo Ii,