The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-06-06
.SHAW'S VIEW OF IT,
Former Secretary Of the Treas
ury Talks on Public Ownership.

eient as the Employees of Firms and
corporations-Tsnur of Office In the
Civil Service Breeds Slipshod Ways.
There are over 10000 public servants.
exclusive of presidential appOintees,
under the direct supervision of the de-
partment at the head of which | had
the honor TO temporarily preside. They
are good. conscientious, painstaking
body of men and women, and yet IL
the treasury department were pri-
vate enterprise every whit as much
work could be accomplished with u
one-fOurth in the salary of those re-
naming. This condition Is not to be
charged to civil service rules and reg
ulations. of which | most heartily ap-
prove, but to the inherent nature OF
public service.
Some years ago while walking
through Lincoln park, Chicago, | mo-
ticed group of twenty-five or more
men pushing lawn mowers. Stopping
to make some inquiry of policeman,
| lnnocently asked why the city did
not use mowers drawn by horses. |
shall long remember his reply: IL guess
you don't live in Chicago, do you?
How long do you think the city ad-
ministration would live If it moved
the park with horses?'
The cornerstone of the city hall In
Philadelphia was laid on July 4, 1874,
but the building was not completed
until the first year of the present cen
tury. The capitol at Albany was be-
gun In the sixties, it was far enough
| advanced to be the scene of an inau-
gural bali in the seventies and was
completed. all save the tower, for
which the foundation was found In
| sufficient, in 1899. In the meantime
the two great political parties alter
mated in control, and l am told in one
or more instances four generations
performed work on the building.
The appropriation for the public
building in Chicago was signed by
Grover Cleveland. and about sixty
days ago I made final settlement and
signed the draft for the last payment
and was then able to answer public
criticism because the work had pro-
gressed so slowly with record proof
that it had been about as expeditiously
built as most structures of its charac-
ter erected by the government
The Harlem river, extending from
miles in length. was dredged by the
government to depth of fifteen feet
In seventeen years.
Now note a few instances of private
enterprise. In 1904 the Pennsylvania
railroad began the construction Of twin
tunnels through the mud beneath the
Hudson river and four tunnels extend
Ing thence under the city of New
York and beneath the East river to
Long Island City. and now at the end
Of two years feels confident that it's
fifteen miles of nineteen foot water
proof tunnel will be completed and in
use within the contract period of four
years.
John B. Mcdonald began work on
the subways of New York In March,
1900, and had nine miles with double
track and stations in operation In four
years and seven months.
These instances Illustrate the natural,
the necessary and the inevitable differ
nn0AS hntunon fa
government work and might be multi
piled indefinitely.
/ do not know that can explain the
reasons why these differences must
and always will exist better than to
recite very commonplace experience. l
received telegram some days ago from
the cashier of Il little bank in which
am interested. 1t read: II am offered
$42.5O an acre for your East Boyer
land. What shall dO?" | answered:
"You know better than l do. Do as
you think best" To this he replied, II
think the land Is we'll sold" These tel
egTams were not even preserved. But
II had been acting for the govern
ment | would have had the land ad-
vertised for sale, | would have sent a
commission to examine and appraise
it, ] would have had not less than two
subordinate officers of the department
go through all the papers and submit
their recommendations, | would then
have rendered final decision, but
would have been careful to preserve
u complete record of everything, lest on
some unhappy day after my retirement
and perhaps after my demise an inves-
tigating committee, appointed per-
chance by an adverse congress, would
make inquiry and, failing to find posi-,
tive proof Of honesty, would make a
report filled with suggestions of doubt
and that would be quite enough to
brand my pnme with shame. My sub
ordinates f0ok the same precautions
and safeguard their regulations with
an equal amount of red tape whenever
they sell an old horse or wOrnout piece
Of furniture.
1t is the appropriate function Of the
government to safeguard the individ
ual and to see that the game Of bust
ness is fairly played. that the cards are
held above the table and that every
body is given square deal. 1t is not
the appropriate function Of the govern
ment to sit IN the game.
Control Easier Than Operation.
The plea for municipal ownership
seems logical in communities that ap
near to he unnhle To control nuhliI