Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-20

mat they have large pecuniary inter
est IN the election of president friend
~ to the railroads?" If he were wholly
frank, he might have said, and with
greater force, IF an appointive board.
removable by the executive, can fix
rates, and by the exercise of that DOW
er increase or decrease by hundreds
OF millions of dollars the revenues of
the railroads, and can also increase or
decrease, to the limit of judicial for
pearance, the rates to be paid by each
and every community between the seas
may not some executive who is both
ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS, by the
exercise of that 1mperialistic power.
perpetuate himself in office to the day
OF MS death and then in effect beuueath
to whom he will?" Possibly it was in
part to prevent contingency like this.
when, perchance, some man of the TYNE
have described, shall be elected presi-
dent, a somewhat liberal court review
was provided for in the rate bill.
Unless Colonel Bryan's fears that
some chief executive NAV abuse the
discretion lodged with him under the
-~.SN 0AAA SAS luSll WHAT
might we not fear should the nearly
ten thousand officials and nearly mil
hon operatives Of trunk lines of road
be made either subject to executive re-
moval for captious cause, or retention
regardless of inefficiency?
Nor is this the sole objection. Not
long ago the directors of trunk line
OF railroad held their annual meeting.
1t finished its business at single ses-
sion, but before it adjourned, it had
appropriated $10,OO0,OO0 for extending
Its lines, increasing its rolling stock,
and lettering its track and terminal
facilities. How long would it take con-
gress to appropriate $10,000,000 for
single road touching only six states
when every state from Maine to Ore
gon and from Montana to the gulf was
asking equal appropriations for the i'm
provement of their facilities.
Bounty Is Scattered.
Say all we please against the in
fluence Of local interests, but the fact
remain that no appropriation for the
improvement of rivers and harbors,
however imperative, can be passed
that does not widely scatter it's bounty
~ wv W AAASAdNO q lew uOu-ldNlSdU16
streams and some other unnecessary
improvements. No public building bill,
can be passed for the erection of Gus
tom house, public store, or postof1ice.
though its construction will save to
the government In rent an amount in
excess of the interest on the cost, that
does not also provide for few post
offices in democratic and republican
districts, alike, where the cost of main.
tenance after erection exceeds the
rental now paid for adequate quar-
tiers, and where the erection Of public
building is an absolute waste of money
River and harbor bills and public build
ing bills are nonpartisan measures.
The opposition says much in platform
and more from the stump in favor Of
economy, but when 1t comes to appro-
priations there Is remarkably nonpar-
tisan unanimity of opinion from every
district likely to be rewarded. Know
Ing as do that public revenues come
very largely from the wealthy and
well-to-do, and that expenditures for
rivers and harbors and public buildings
go almost entirely to labor, | do not
wish this to be understood as the reg
istration of an objection to the policy
of internal improvements. admit
them to be against the teachings Of
Jefferson, and in the face Of the early
teachings of the democratic party. But
on the policy of Capitalization as well
as on most other questions the party
of Jefferson has wandered far.
II the trunk lines Of railroads were
once placed under the direct super
vision and control of congress, does
any one suppose that one line could
be double-tracked and rock-ballasted
until facilities on every other line were
made equally good? Would one road
like the New York Central be given
four tracks and cement and steel-con-
structlon bridges while the Rock Island
with more mileage and touching ter
ritory having more votes In the house
and several times as many votes in
the senate, has but a single track and
crosses streams or bridges with wood
en- piers? Would it be possible to have
an hourly train service between New
York and Philadelphia and between
Chicago and Milwaukee, with parlor
cars and dinner service and have only
two trains day between the homes Of
several times as many senators scat
tered between Seattle and st. Paul?
Would 1t be possible to have through
fast train pass any town without stop
ping, and especially the home town Of
congressman or senator?
10000 Public Servants.
There are over twenty thousand pub
lie servants. exclusive Of presidential
appointees. under the direct supervi-
sion of the department at the head of
which have the honor to temporarily
preside. They are good, conscien-
tious, painstaking body Of men and
women, and yet if the treasury depart
ment were private enterprise every
whit as much work could be accom-
plished with reduction of one-third
in number and one-fourth in the salary
of those remaining. This condition is
not to be charged to civil service rules
and regulations, Of which l most heart
lily approve, but to the inherent nature
of public service.
For four years I had the honor of