Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-10-17
Government Ownership OF Railroads

on his proposition for the govern
ment ownership and operation of
railroads discloses new weak points
in his scheme. At Raleigh, n. G..
he attempted To put his critics in
the position of advocating private
monopoly instead of the govern.
ment monopoly which he would
institute and Indicated that he
favored the government taking the
railroads on the ground that they
are public necessity.
The contention that the railroads
on the ground that they can aud do
exercises the power Of imposing
exorbitant charges can not be sus-
tanned, especially since the passage
of the Hepburn law which imposes
on the road the burden of proving
that any charge complained of by a
shipper and condemned by the In
terstate Commerce Commission il
reasonable and Just. Aside from
tins, however, the transportation
charges are limited and controlled
by the competition of carriers, of
markets, and of producing localities
and this competition, combined
with the fact that road can only
prosper If the shippers and com.
munl'les served 10y it prosper, tend
TO keep charges down to reasona-
BILE aud moderate level without
any governmental supervision.
Under government ownership
and operation, however, there would
be complete monopoly. The road
would then be managed by central
administration in w ashington with
no interest in endeavorng to develop
TO the utmost the business of each
locality, though officials interested
In certain localities might look after
their interests at the expense Of the
rest OF the country. That govern
ment operation would be much
more expensive than that Of the
present corporation management is
shown by the fact that all kinds of
work carried on by the government
costs vastly more than similar
work done by private corporations
or individuals The result would
inevitably he an increase in charges
and there would be no appeal from
a government-mide rate. No mat
ter how unreasonable 1t might be
the shipper or passenger would have
TO pay it and if private corpora
ton should attempt TO compete al
lower rates the strong arm of gov
ernment would put 1t out of bust
ness just as express companies are
not allowed to carry letters though
they could do it at less than the
government postal rates and earn
large profits.
Mr. Bryan predicts that the
country will be brought to govern.
ment ownership through the failure
Of regulation. 1t would be a safe
prediction that after a short trial Of
bis plan the country would prefer
TO return to private ow nership even
without government regulation.
Mr.. Bryan's argument that the
roads should be taken by the gov
eminent because they are public
,heces.ities is equally unfortunate
because II carried to it's logical con-
p FUSION it would involve pure social.
ism with he government owning
all property and operating oil indus
tue- Land is even more Of a pub.
Iic necessity than p railroad and I'LL
The government should ogu the T
railroad system Of the country on
tha ground that itisa public me-.
ce--.ts Jlo same reason would re-
o".e ..a Zovcrnmenl tooau am the
land conduct aI lbc tuIurrc-
81 tanning mining and forestry
i'l"a desirable that toe people
fao.. food and clothing taln
taa. .. .oad r.le 100 4na5