The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-04-10
PERPETUAL FRANCHISES IN The pHILIpplNes.

FEHfE IOhI FRANCHISES IN The PHILIPPINES.
or all the mistakes Of the American government
In dealing with the Flipnos. no mistake Is likely to
have as far reaching an influence Cor evil as the
granting OF perpetual railroad franchises. Every
railroad is TO certain extent monopoly, for sec
ond railroad not be built with promise OF proht
until there is traffic enough to support two roads.
railroad, therefore collect almost twice much
as It ought to before a second railroad would dare
to build parallel line Usually, wheA competing
lines built between central points ths built
far enough apart to leave each one IN undisputed
control o. locsl trsnc To fasten perpetual fran
chis upon community is to burden all future
generations
No generation. says Bryan's Commoner has a
moral right TO mortgage posterity unless a perma-
nent Improvement is created equal in value to the in
cumbrance Who viii calculate the value Of a per
petaal franchise? The future is so uncertain that
the purchaser of franchise would not pay any
more for a perpetual franchise than he would for
ne running fifty a hundred years II asked 20
give because the franchise forever he would
reply that only purely speculative but that
while the present generation OF stockholders would
have to pay the purchase money remote generations
would be The benehciaries. If any benefits ever
actually accrued when one looks back the
last hundred years and notes the changes that have
taken place in the methods of transportation he
understands how unlikely would be 10 pay more
for a two hundred year franchise than he would for
franchise running a hundred years or even fifty
Bat while o purchaser would not gamble much on
TIL future value OF perpetual franchise the people
who live aiong the railroad may be subjected to a
neverending injustice II one generation could
rghtfully mort case future generations it wonld be
impossible fer those living at the present time to
secure comuaasation at ali commensurate with the
burden imposed those yet to be horn
Il It woud be inaccessible for people to barter
away the rights ana welfare Of thor own children,
what shall we say OF those who acting as guardians
assume to dispose of the property of their wards in
such way that without securing any material ad-
vantage to the wards the rights OF future generations
are surrendered. Every Filipino paper opposes per
pctuai franchises every Filipino who is free to ex
press his own opinion opposes them. and no American
can defend them.
1t would be far better for the Filipiaos II the
guaranteed rate Of interest was higher If necessary
and the franchise limited 10 twenty-five years. It
would be better sim. if the American government
wcali advance the money for the building of such
roads as may be needed and thea, Il ing the
Flpinos the benefit Of the low rate of interest at
which our government can sen bends. provide
sinking fund that would enable the Filipino govern
ment to own the railroads soon govern
ment wa reimbursed
In France railroads were guaranteed dividends
and also sinking fund sufficient TO pay FOR the
railroads within fifty years, at the end OF which time
they became the property OF the government Such
an arrangement in the Philippine islands would be
much more advantageous TO the Fipinos than the
plan adopted. which grants perpetual franchise and
for thirty guarantees interest rate more than
twice as large as our government has to pay.
Aside trom the economic Injustice done to the
Flipnos by the perpetual franchises they involve a
poIihea menace which the Filpnos quick TO
recognize Our fnancers see vital connection
between gunboais and investments. when they
can not any connection between the constitution
aud the flag, and a perpetual franchise means that
orr milton win be perpetuaily appealed to- TO guar
antee dividends Investments made on never
ending concession.
The Filipino students in memorial recently
prepared call attention to the dangers concealed in
the perpetual franchise. and ask what hope there is
Of obtaining selfgoyerment when their material
interests have passed under the eternal control of
American capital
Even in country the doctrine OF innocent
purchaser has been carried far that the rights OF
the patron who makes the railroad profitable and
whose geographical position compels him 70 use the
railroad whether he wants to mot subordinaed
to the interests Of stockholders Who under no
compuIsion buy. and might. on inquiry, ascertain