Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
JUNIORS AND SENIORS,
SPIRITED DHBATE BETWEEN
GEORGETOWN CLAssEA
Government ownership Of Railways
the Question Considered-Nega-
tive Side Wins Decision.

AsdhW0yS Will uOl p0S1 u 8ONckuIucHt
ownership. according to the decision Of the
Georgetown Law School Debating Society.
This momentous question was settled at
CASTOR Hall last night. 1t was the first
term debate between the junior and the
senior classes In the law school Of the uni
versity. The resolution at issue was THAT
the United States government should own
and operate interstate railroads"
The team selected from the senior class
consisted of Charles M. Mattingly and Paul
e. Lesh. They, took the affirmative. The
opposition from the junior society was COM
posed of Henry C. McKenna and McHenry
Gallaher. It was quite spirited debate.
There was a large audience. composed Of
friends of the contesting students. and to
Judge from the applause that followed the
forensic efforts of the debaters craftsmanship
was about evenly divided.
The judges of the evening were Rev.
Father Charles Macksey. Harry M. Cla-
baugh. chief justice of the Supreme Court
Of the District, and Daniel w. Baker, United
States attorney for the District of Column
bia. AS Justice Clabaugh said in rendering
his decision after the debate, the advo-
Gates of government ownership had perhaps
done wisely in choosing Mr.. Baker as one
of the Judges for he had suffered in the
railroad wreck at Terra Gotta and was then
limping on q cane.
The Speeches.
Mr.. Mattingly, who supported the govern
ment ownership side of the controversy,
said the demand for government ownership
Is not thing Of recent growth. 1t had
been developing for years and Is the sane
and conservative opinion of people who
know the railroads and their impositions
private control He recalled the report of
the Senate committee, consisting of Messrs
Cullom, Platt of Connecticut and German,
who had Investigated the railroad situation
In 1885, and declared that government
ownership is the only posi- lie solution of
the problem. Mr. Mating pointed out
that the earnings Of the railroads last
year were s., 700. 100000. a tenth of the
power of the six groups of flnanciers who
control practically all the railroads of the
country Is becoming greater than that Of
the national government and that the gov
eminent is the only power to stand between
the railroads and the people.
properly, he said, Is sacred right; but
the right OF property is as sacred in the
owner OF single dollar as 1t is in the pos
SCISSOR OF millions, and the general govern
ment Is the only power that can control
the railroads and make property safe for
the small shipper as 1t is for the trust pro-
Queer.
Mr. Lesh, who took the same side, pointed
out that out of fifty-one civilized govern
ments having railroads forty-one are gov
eminent ownership countries. He showed
also how the government ownership tends
to eliminate duplication of service and re-
duce rates to the consumer and argued
from the earnings Of the railroads on their
heavily watered stock that it will be posi-
BILE for the government to issue 21b per cent
bonds and buy the railroads at the valua-
ton given them by the interstate commerce
commission. and still pay all the interest
on the bonds and complete the purchase of
the roads within thirty years.
In the Negative.
On the other side Mr.. McKenna said that
the government ownership of railroads is
neither desirable, practical nor essential. He
admitted that there are wrongs committed
by the railroads under private ownership,
but he said these wrongs would not be
righted by government ownership; that the
concentration of political power would suf-
nee to keep one administration in power in
definitely. He pointed to the experience of
Germany, Italy and Australia as warnings
against the attempt government officials
to manage the railroad properties Of the
country. He added that while the passen-
ger rates in this country are slightly higher
than in countries where government owner
ship exists, the freight rates on American
roads are the lowest in the world, being
$40 Of cent per ton mile, as compared
to cents per ton mile in Europe.
Mr.. Gallagher argued against govern
ment ownership on both ethical and prac-
teal grounds, and said that with the army
of railroad employees in the government
service they would suffice to turn the scale
Of any election and make the possibilities of
political corruption infinitely greater than
they are under the present form of man
agement.
The decision Of the judges on the personal
merits Of the debaters was In favor Of Mr..
Lesh of the affirmative and Mr.. Gallagher
of the negative. These two contestants
will be the ''runners-up' in the final de-
bate of the year.