, 1906-05-11
SOCIALISM,.
II puhlic Ownership.

ii, PuDlC OWueISulps
1t is difficult to curb the limitations
of government ownership of public
utilities. 1t is steadily growing and
rapidly expanding to assume new func-
lions. Practically all of the countries
of continental Europe have either
adopted or made provision for speedy
government ownership of railway sys-
TENS, and these countries range ron
the republics of France and Switzer-
land through every grade of constitu-
tional monarchies to autocratic Rus
STA. France has already made a gov
eminent monopoly of tobacco, which
yields a evenue of $50, zoe 900, and the
greatest source of revenue in Russia
is from the liquor traffic absorbed by
the cZa
In France, tobacco growers are salts
fed to sell to the government thelr pro
duct, as the market is always steady,
and not subject to the fluctuations OF
he bourse or the stock exchange.
There is no incentive" for speculation,
and the happy planter is quite content
with the assurance of a fair n con-
slant price for his product, although,
doubtless, there is many a Pierpont
Morgan to sigh for the lost chance OF
Speculation. Belgium could easily sell
her railway system for four times its
original cost and defray every franc
of her debt, but she prefers TO accom-
modate her people. Great Britain, oil
all European nations, stands alone in
her private ownership of railways, yet
her two great cities, London and Glas-
Cow, have municipal ownership in
many things, such as car lines, tene-
ments, ferries, laundries, municipal
lodgings, and they are already termed
socialistic cities. The British empire
is dotted with municipalities that own
their gas, electric lighting and water
plants.
On the other side of the globe. in
Australia and New Zealand, the eXper
iments in government ownership Lave
been most satisfactory. In the former
country, eight hours constitutes a days
work, and six hours is now being de-
manded as a days work. The govern
ment railways have been a great sue
cess there, and in this valuable paper
read a few months ago that the net
earnings of the government railways in
Australia we're 1927, 900, 900, which is
quite a decent saving for 1000, 900 PEG
pie, and then, as | hear, n a ride
there 1000 miles for six dollars. Fancy
riding from Omaha to Ogden for six
Idollars-one would have a fit the first
time he paid his fare! In New Yea.
land, every n man of two is a land
holder, and every aged person over 60
and a resident for twenty-five years re
ceives a pension, if without a fair in
come. 1t is called a government OF
kitchen girls as women vote there, but
If so, the girls have no reason to feel
ashamed of themselves. Labor disputes
are settled without loss or strikes or
lockouts, and a man without a job is
set at work on the government farms
or in government institutions until he
can secure labor elsewhere.
In our w country, municipal own
ership, which, of course, is public own
ership, is fast growing in favor. New
York, Chicago n Milwaukee have re
peatedly voted in favor of it, and Den
yer is about to do so.
1t is found, wherever tried, that the
endless wars between the resident
stockholders of utility corporations and
the general public have ceased, thai
there is no o doodle or graft" tc
distribute, that the wages Of employees
have increased, that the hours of theil
toll have been shortened, that the
charge for service has largely decreas
ed and that with all of these consum
nations so devoutly to be wished, snug
sums have been laid by as profits ant
for improvement of the systems, be
sides ~discharging the debt assumed
Government enterprises in this coun
try have been well conducted. Nearly
all of our transcontinental lines have
been built on a government guaranty
of bonds and a generous donation Of
an empire of public lands. Our mag
nificent post Office system would pay
were it not for the absurdly excessive
charges paid to the railways for carry
ing the mails. We have now entered
upon a glorious undertaking in the rec
lamation of public lands by irrigation
in forestry reservations and in the ex
~tensive operations of the department
of agriculture, which have resulted il