The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-24
The Railroad Problem.

Editor Of The Times Dispatch
SIr.-For a long time no, serics OF
interest ana vast Importance as the Re:
cent Hartman disclosures In railroad
finance and the tremendous crash In
stocks that quickly followed. The very
a rather uncomfortably close sailing to
disaster for tho whole community.
They indicate also THO instability Of
country u bound-a condition that It Is
Impossible for an Intelligent and pros
nent, for It Is intoleruble that 50 funda-
OF the country should gon the one hand
other. tho shnttlecoek OF 4 Wall Street.
or again the sport Of Sdemagoguos.
try to earnestly seek some solution Of
SO vital a problem, and to offer every
possible suggestion. for out OF the album
dance Of ideas tho wise policy may
labyrinth which threatens no little peril
to our eyary material and commercial
nterust.
Outright ownershiip BY government =, n a a 2,
Of conducting the railroads OF the whole
| country and OF further developing the
railroad system SO as to meet the de-
mands Of constantly growing commune
/ -
| tired In a single department Of govern
ment. J.,
| oentve. and pnves the way FOR me aan :
| gerous corruption inevitable TO enormous
political patronage.
When speak Of destroying incentive.
/ / am not, however. echoing MT. Harri-
man. when he indicated that IN, me asi :
men OF the ambition to- BECOME multi
i millionares. 10 strangle that Kind 2
ambition would be bcneficent to the rall-
roads and 70 the country 3,,t LOT - . sE'ls'
The brilliant and plratical fnancisra
who absorb whole railroad systems are
not the people to whom we are g., i,ndep -,
for efficient service, lhe l, aS, ners s Dc
H ehe reil Work, and se probability Is tRa.
they would find Just az much ince aaSa,
!. n In the development OF maximum en,e =,
IL 3 TalFs sRSro sisxee nanesr H.;
!. TOP were endorsed, % he certa1h'S WV
far every effort t. salye the snd yes soa
problem seems 70 ne .' tem.a ans axnoaure,
. Of the Interstate Commerce COMMISSION y ),
are Exceedingly valuable for inf9E ,,s n.1
! lbut they are not constructive, 4, ! ue ata
slaton n seye sat H ~ esaapnble Only
producing confusion and possip9iES ny NH NH
, nster. A state Of war between W. rM -
J road ana the community, rennamnns - ~ i
embarrassment 81 me ahsieue' react
d iMy vuIy upon tho community 7, I
Eat as at least hope that the sup] e, {,
may be Illuminated hy 81 some e''''
orpl ,5Gt rlass5psss az ' and Vita the re
4 |5latians between tho Incorporated hlgnwn
ana tho community tat tp9iI syyen d nc
20 the Welfare sha 81 bo
- sncnnd-;rhe plblle Interest can onl
be safcguardod by national control ! !,
nature as sGGps q p!sdis
: piiiratHiaai s exploitation Of beth railroad
{ %hGTha maximq mn q (. ef nean1sS
z rivinw ample play to that degree
q 6n 1iiyuf initiative and INCENTIVE While
. calls forth the utmost efforts OF the aple'
!. Now, how are we to get these res !; II
Y Senator Newlands, IN q, recent 1S t6o at pae
= 70 poad corporatlons, said national ehart!e
10 secure Federal control amounting pm
seSy re bsoluset ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS q
railroads by a departmental s1a't " =
II rha tpnal slpyter l. n Nssds.ai MAJ "a
% a saSp" let il BE- simply tho lnstrVme
Il How Is this to be aeeomp I,ll tSa sto,
tos cst Plaza ass 81
e. ~ BY tie Federal goysTnmeass, Il. g =, T z
~ mean that these shall % 1o ID y, q Dorm =
o. ,'1or,,Ins linden n ma tlpnal GlnTtt
ID But the " goyeFnment glaranteea the IN
nsr cent a1sysstil aq poss sRa A'S
by ''' NOW, over ana above this three !,
#. cent which IS glagantesni lst }e e sha
at ter provide tnnt net a, e9s a a sne,
tho holders az tho bonds Of any part
n u i,u curporutIon, until said distribute