Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-08-16

may. be pursued in securing for
the people this right and oppor-
tunity of travel and commerce.
It is a government business
that is conceded. How, the gov
eminent shall transact this bust
ness to the best advantage is the
question.
II say there are two methods
one is for the government to
do the work itself. This method
is known as government owner
ship. It is practiced in Germany
and other places and is followed
by the government of the United
States in the matter of carrying
mail to and from place to place,
and delivering it to it's destina-
ton.
'The other method is the one
we have adopted in this country,
and that is to farm out this bus
mess to private corporations and
individuals, comforting upon
them the right to build these
public highways and use them in
the transaction of business of the
government, for it must not be
forgotten that handling the trav-
ell and commerce of the country
is the business of the govern
ment of that country.
Properly speaking, our meth
cd is to give companies, organic
ed for that purpose, the right of
Eminent Domain, under which
they build these highways and
operate them as a private bust
ness. They are simply doing the
work of the government and
they must do it under the con-
troll of the government and in
the manner that the government
directs, or not at all.
Men may differ as to which
of these two methods is the best.
Some think that government
ownership would be best; others
believe that government control
and regulation is the safer plan,
1t is a tremendous problem and
either plan has great difficulties.
"By either plan, the question
that comes up are both political
and commercial. By either plan,
the railroad business must of ne
cessity be closely connected with
politics because a question that
so directly concerns the public
welfare must be a question in
which men in public life have to
interest themselves.
Under government owner
ship the men engaged in the ire
mendous task of handling the
commerce of the country would
be closely identified with public
and political affairs. 1t would
be necessary to have a very eff
cient civil service and a very
high grade of public men to es-
cape the evils of corruption and
abuse of power because the con-
troll of the government of the ma
ton is always the control of the
prosperity and happiness of that
nation.
1T is exactly the same with
private ownership under public
control. The power of the men
who control the transportation
is just as great in one instance as
the other. There is just the
same close connection with the
making and administration of
the law with the control and reg
ulation of the business in the
case of private ownership as in
the case of public ownership.
The railroads are just as much
in politics when they are con-
trolled and regulated by the gov
eminent as if they were owned
bv the government.
"Some people think there is a
greater temptation for railroad
interest to NEEDLE in politics I'M
der private ownership, than un-
der public ownership.
'The railroads are operated
for the purpose of making money
but | think, when the matter is
sifted down to the bottom, that
it can be seen that the railroads
connection with politics and pub
lie affairs must be the same un-
der one plan as the other. 1t is
a public business anyhow and
must be connected with politics
and public affairs; it cannot be
divorced. 1t must not be di-
vnrced because the question of
transportation is the question of
tho peoples prosperitysan and hap
piness and it is the duty of those
intrusted with the making and
administration of law To take at