The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-09-04

! There never was time when tariff
reform could be more easily entered
upon, for the manufacturers by SELL
ing abroad cheaper than at home, as
many of them do, have not only shown
their ingratitude toward those who
built the tariff wall for them, but
they have demonstrated their ability
to sell in competition with the world.
Wants Public Ownership of Railways.
The railroad question is also in
terwoven with the trust question.
Nearly all the private monopolies
have received rebates or secured other
advantages over competitors. Abso-
lutte equality of treatment at the
hands of the railroads would go far
toward the crippling Of the trusts
and | rejoice that the president has
had the courage to press this question
upon congress. While the law as it
was finally distorted by the senate, is
not all that could be wished, it de-
serves IL fair trial.
Rate regulation was absolutely ne
cessary and it furnishes some relief
from the unbearablc conditions which
previously existed; but we must not
forget that the vesting Of this enor-
nous power in the hands of com
mission appointed by the president in
troduces Il new danger. In an ap-
pointive boalu has the power to fix
rates, and can by the exercise of that
power increase or decrease by hun
dreds of millions of dollars the annual
revenues from the roads, will not the
railroads feel that they have a large
pecuniary interest in the election of a
president friendly to the railroads 2
Experience has demonstrated that
municipal corruption is largely trace
able to the fact that franchise corpor-
ations desire to control city council
and thus increase their dividends. If
the railroad managers adopt the same
policy the sentiment in favor of the
ownership Of the railroads by the gov
ernment is likely to increase through
out the country as the sentiment in
lawn VI O"HCl III
creased in the cities. have already
reached the conclusion that railroads
partake som much of the nature of a
monopoly that they must ultimately
become public property and be man.
aged by public officials in the interest
of the whole community in accordance
with the we'll defined theory that pub
lie ownership is necessary where COM
petition is impossible. do not know
that the country is ready for this
change. I do not know that major
ity of my own party favor it, but I
believe that an increasing number Of
the members Of all parties see in the
public ownership the sure remedy for
determinations between persons and
places, and for the extortionate rates
for the carrying of freight and pas
Sengers.
Would Have Dual Ownership.
Believing. however, that the opera
tion of all the railroads by the federal
government would result in central
| iZation which would all but obliterate
state lines, | prefer to see only the
trunk lines operated by the Federal
government and the local lines by the
State governments.
Some have opposed this dual owner
ship as impracticablc, but investiga-
tion in Europe las convinced me that
it is entirely practicable. Nearly all
the railroads Of Germany are owned
by the several states, the empire not
even owning the trunk lines and yet
the Interstate, traffic is in no wise
obstructcd. The ownership and oper-
ations of the local lines by the sever
al state governments is not only fea-
sible, but it suits itself to the condi-
tiOns existing IN the various states.
In these states where people are ripe
for change, the local lines can be
purchased or new lines be built at
once, while private ownership can con-
tinue in these states on which the peo-
pie still prefer private ownership.
AS to the right of the governments,
federal and state, to own and operate
railroads there can be no doubt IF we
can deepen the water in the lakes and
build connecting canals in order to
cheaper transportation daring half Of
the year, we can build a railroad and
! cheaper rates the whole year; if we
can spend several hundred millions on