The Republican journal., 1907-08-08
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.

In the matter of paternalism, or, to
use the more common expression. gov
eminent ownership, we are following
in the footsteps of the older countries
of Europe, which after paying dear for
their experience have pronounced mu-
nicipal ownership failure. And no
doubt, despite the object lessons fur
nished by other communities and coun-
tries, and the warnings of our own
press, paternalism and socialism will
have their run, as did the greenback
craze and Bryan's 16 to l, until the bur
dens upon real estate, which cannot
escape taxation like stocks and bonds.
will become so heavy that there will be
a revolt and a return to saner methods.
Already there has been a shrinkage in
incomes and many business PROPOSE
tons are being curtailed. Here is a
note of warning from The Standard, a
very able insurance journal, on the
"Results of Paternalism:"
Paternalism is apparently an expen-
sive luxury, for while in the United
States, where Individual enterprise has
reached its highest development, the
national debt in 1905 amounted to 81 81
per capita, i'll New Zealand, which is
committed to policy of paternalism,
the debt per capita for the same year
was S34S.10. Among the paternalistic
experiments of the Australasian colony
has been State fire insurance depart
ment which it has been running at a
loss, borne of course by the public. If
some of our so-called reformers could
succeed in inducing Congress or the
State Legislatures to put their ere
forms" into practice, the people of the
United States might also secure insur-
ance, transportation, telegraph service
and what not at less than cost and, in
cidentally, run up national debt of
some thirty times Its present amount.
But so long as private enterprise is able
to furnish these things more economi-
cally than the government, what's the
use?
Here is another view of State owner
ship from an article on Tendencies of
American Railway Development in
the August Atlantic:
How far the present tendency to.
wards socialistic corporation control
will 60 in this country, no man can
tell | am inclined to believe that the
present furry of legislative regulation
and restriction, while matter of first.
class annoyance to the railroads, does
not after all, extend very far beneath
the surface. A few years of carefully
applied corporate good manners, extend
ing from the president right through
to the station agent. will do much to
smooth over the sources of popular
clamor. Moreover, the most radical
appearing steps are not necessarily per.
manent; London has just withdrawn
sharply from her own municipal social.
ism after thorough experiment, and
the Chicago voters set themselves
against the local municipal street rail
way ownership before the Mueller pur-
chase certificates were declared uncon-
stitutional. The Granger legislation
of the seventies was worse than the
legislation of 1906 and 1907, but it had a
very brief career of harmfulness, and
even when we allow for the worst of all
the effects of this indiscriminate State
legislation-the encouragement it Of
fers capital for new development-We
must surely believe that those who see
permanent trouble in store for the rail
roads are looking at the path too close
to their feet, forgetful of the immense
promise of the future.
Our own legislature last winter made
some advance toward paternalism. For
merly when the insane were committed
to the hospitals by towns the State paid
$3.50 per week for their maintenance,
the town paying the balance. Where
they were State paupers the State as
sumed the whole charge. Under law
passed by the last legislature the State
assumes the whole expense. The ten
dency will be to increase the number
sent to the hospitals. The legislature
also changed the law in regard to the
State School for Boys. Under the for
mer law, in certain cases, the town paid
the institution 81 per week for the sup
port, clothing and education of boy
sent to the school. The legislature has
changed this law so that, under certain
conditions, the State assumes the whole
expense of boys sent to the school. The
tendency will, of course, be to increase
the number in that institution. The
expense of commitments to the Indus
trial School for Girls is also to be borne
by the State. Heretofore commitments
to this school were largely from the
cities and they cheerfully paid the
nominal sum of 81 per week. The new
order of things will relieve the towns