Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-06-25

The Weakness
Of Government
BY judge PETER S.
CROSScUP of the
~ M United states Circuit
Court of Appeals =

~ OvERNMENT control never gets, and in the nature of
- things never can get, all there is OR THE BEST THERE
is in human c~apabilty. The government may compete
with private enterprise in getting capable men, but it has
not thus far shown anything of the capacity Of a private
enterprise to assign the right man ALWAYS TO THE RIGHT
PLACE. That kind of seeking out and w~atchfulness few government
departments possess. The men in charge of government departments
may be intelligent and well intentioned, but they are, in today and out
tomorrow. The thing under them is not their child. They never, as
a matter of fact. get their hands and their minds fully into the work.
And this will always be the case, for in its nature republican govern
menti is i founded on SHORT TEXTURES and frequent changes.
sss
Nor will civil service change this. Civil service examinations may
secure capable men, but no civil service examination can assign the
right marto the right place, can pick out of the thousand capable men
JUST THE KIND OF CAPABILITY that is fitted to this place
and lust the kind that is fitted to that. Indeed, between government
control and private control the difference is between what we call true
organization and what is the merest aggregation, for in private enter
prise each man has come by process of attrition to the place he is best
fitted to fill, while in government employment each man iSdropped
into his place IRRESPECTIVE OF SPECIAL FITNETSS and
under civil service is riveted there. And all this is said on the as
sumption that politics would have no part in government ownership
and operations. SIX
WHEN wEssrAND BEFORE THAT SIDE OF THE QUESTION
EFFICIENT PUBLIC OWNERSHIP LOOKS ALMOST HOPELESS.
AS for another remedy-control from outside the corporation a 81
is today. Under the shadow Of the Wanted Sherman antitrust act the
greatest of the SC called trusts have grown up. True, the administra-
ton has begun a number of prosecutions. But the beef trust injunc-
ton, the railroad rebate injunction and the Northern Securities decree
contain so FAR their results.
With these results I am finding no fault. The rairoads say that
they are obeying the injunction, and thus far the law officers of the
government have not with success dsproved OR EVEN TRIED TO
DISPROVE that assertion. No prosecution for contempt under the
beef trust injunction has been instituted.
This expected cure from the outside is no cure at all It may pal
late, but it neither eradicates NOR RESTORES. There must pc
.svFNMersae
Capitalism under present conditions is bound to be hoggish, IS
bound to look upon the people, the peoples labor, and the peoples ac-
cumulatng wealth only as 10 much oil for their own lamps. But pres
emit conditions are not fastened upon us.
Just as fast as popular interest and intelligent and unprecedented
Judgment enter into the ownership and management Of the property
constituting our corporate domain, the present system Of converging all
the capital of the country into the great money centers, there to be Dor
rowed by the few AND INVESTED BY THE FEW FOR
THEIR SOLE BENEFIT, will subside. Inspire people with the be-
lief that they can, with reasonable security, have an individual stake in
the domain that constitutes our corporate property, and they will cease
to have no care into what their resources go. 4tHs
THEY WILL COME TO A CONDITION OF INTEREST WHERE
THEY WILL CARE. AND THEY. WILL COME TO EXERCISE THAT
CARE WITH DISCRIMINATION AND INTELLIGENCE.