The Cairo bulletin., 1907-07-13
PRESIDENT TAKES
BRYAN'S PLAN
WOULD BUY UP STOCK or BIG
CORPORATION TO GAIN
CONTROL.
AND GET THEIR SECRETS
Would Be First step Toward Com
pIete Government Ownership
Wants Government or on
rectorate Of Big Lines.

! Washington d. G., Jly 12.-Presl
ldent Roosevelt Is considering recon,
nending to congress form or modi.
iied governmental ownership Of rail
Iroads. The scheme he is now study.
Ing at Oyster Bay is that adopted by
The German government IN a step To
The complete ownership of all rail
way lines.
/ The plan which President Roosevelt
| Is now considering recommending to
congress proposes to have the govern.
nent purchase stock In number OF
the chief railway systems of the coun-
try, so as to give 1t representation
On the boards of directors. These gov
ernment directors would be IN posi-.
ton to know The most closely guard
ed secrets 0 fine management Of the
scsyectiye roads. and there would be
10 further need of the inquisltorlal
methods which have come into use
'ince the active regulation of rail
8oads by the federal power was under.
aiken.
In fact it is claimed that there
would be no more railroad secrets
since at all the meetings of directors
there would be present the reprcsen-
atives o fthe government. whose chief
uty it would be to see thai publicity
vas given All official acts Of the re-.
'pectiye directors. This system in
iermany was the stepping stone to
absolute ownership by the govern
nent. Having gotten this foothold
he government proceeded to purchase
1 trnk line outright, cut down rates
md forced other roads to sell out.
II Is not precisely clear how the
government would proceed In the mat
ter OF compelling the roads In which
lf owned stock to allow lis represen.
sation on the board OF directors. but
the power of the United States gov
.ernncnt has quite recently come TO
1e thing feared by the average rail-
way corporation, and the exercise OF
his power would probably produce
tne result desired.
President Roosevelt stands as tho
Dre-eminent champion Of government
ii control Of railways. He has thus
far left to Mr.. Bryan he advocacy III
governmental ownership under certain
Indeed. 1t Is asserted
that this is about all he has left the
Nebraskan statesman, should the
president take this much of The doc
rine of governmental ownership |
which, It Is believed, would eyentuate |
II the absolute ownership which Mr.. |
Bryan predicted first in his Madison
square Garden speech last fall was
'ound to cone, the latter would be |
eft with little more than the doc.
rine of the initiative and referendum
IS a distinctive belief
The proposed scheme Of modified
'wnership is in perfect accord with
.lr. Bryans doctrine that the govern.
nent shorld exercise full control over
he road until the time arrives for
by the government. and IT
; practically certain that If the presi-
ent does not recommend modified
oyernment ownership certain Demo.
rats in congress will propose the
cheme
1t is known to few people that the
resident some months ago sought le-
al advice as TO the powers of the fed.
raj government TO own and operate
He was advised, it is under
TODD, that the general government
nder the constitution, could buy or
onstruct and operate a railroad for
Sc in carrying mails and for military
nd other governmental purposes:
hat It could carry freight and passen-
ers from a point in one state to 4
oint in another state. but that It
ould not do an intrastate passenger
r freight business.
These was much speculation at the
me this advice was sought and given
$ to the drift Of the presidents mind
hen he asked for Information. II
GEMS all clear now, but the question
S TO the constitutional authority for
Governmental ownership of even
nall block Of stock in a railroad do
x a general interstate and intrastste
eight and passenger business Is net
stled