The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-13
Knocking Its President.

Knocking It's President.
 Kansas City Journal (Rep). ..
 President Roosevelt appears to have been rather unfortunate in his cita- tions of precedents in support of his policy of supervising and control over railroads. His first instance was as follows: We seek nothing reyolu- tionary. We ask for such laws as in their essence now obtain in the statd old commonwealth of MassachusetIs.; The experience of England with gov ernmental supervision and controF of railroads, as well as ownership of all kinds, has proved so unsatisfactory and injurious to the public interests that everything that has been done in that direction for years is being un- H sibie f The press of Massachusetts tells the same story in regard to her rail- way legislation, declaring 1t to be un- satisfactory In every respect and With State newspapers. regardless of DO lirical proclivities, are taking MT, Roosevelt sharply to task for his state ment, which they are refuting with
 More unfortunate still is MT. Roose- yelt's other illustration as to the beneficial effects of railway reguiauon; | of Iowa as a satisfactory example, us- ing this ad captandum argument:
 There need be no fear on the part
  tional supervision and control over railways will be for their detrtment. If they doubt this, let them study the history of the railway control move ment in such a State as Iowa. It would be hard to find anywhere more prosperous or more intelligent com munity; community of thriving farm CTS and thriving townspeople. ioWa did its share in the work Of building railroads when the business was one that demanded men of the utmost
 f,rl that gallant soldier, and real captain of industry, Grenville M. Dodge; men who ran risks and performed feats fol which 1t was difficult to make the re- thing on the chances of a business which today happily involves no such hazards Iowa was at length forced the railways within her borders. There was great outcry against it. It was proclaimed that such effort would ruin roads already built and prevent build ing more. But Iowa proceeded with the task, and 1t resulted, not in ruin and stagnation, but in increased safety and profit to the honest investor. h. hands of receivers. it was followed by a prosperity that rescued many of them from receiverships."
 ing editorial. entitled "The Strange Case of Iowa" year or so ago, The Chicago Tribune presented the other side Of the picture, showing how badly Iowa had been handicapped and her growth retarded by hasty and ill-ad . vised restrictive legislation regarding railways. Contrary to MT. Roosevelts s of the railroads, into the hands of re- ceivers, where they remained tor years The next result was the sudden stop page of railway construction and de Velopment within the State, only the trunk lines which crosses the State borders continuing in progressive poli- cies. But, above all, the effects were and to the growth of the State as a whole In consequence of her narrow laws relating to transportation few, the State: the growth of her cities and towns was arrested until now there is no large city in the State to afford her people market and depot or supplies boring States in every respect except agriculture, and even the young men who grow up on the farms are com pelled to leave the State in order to lind suitable occupations such as ob- tain in large cities. The growth Of Iowa has been not only. one sided and much slower than that of other West ern States. Iowa can not boast. as Missouri does, that wall could be built around the State and its people world Her growth has not been an all-around, diversified development like that of Missouri.
 MT. Roosevelt will have to try again, and many times more. we opine, be- fore he will find any country. State or community which has prospered Tn lation or ownership. There Is not one under the sun. The idea is as illogi- cal and absurd as though 6 man were expected to run faster by putting a bail and chain around his ankles, or by having someone else work his legs for him.