The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-26
NORTH DAKOTA DEBATERS MADE STRONG
ARGUMENTS AGAINST GOVERNM' Mt OWNERSHIP

WOulu mdh0 government ownership q
failure in America. Not only would
sectional jealousy prevent develop
ment where 1t is most needed but cor
ruption, bad as 1t may be today, would
be immeasurably increased. The
gentleman of the opposition has pict-
ured evils of the present system,
evils which we will show can be rem
edied by government control. He has
failed to meet the difficulties in the
way of government ownership. And
let me again call your attention to
the tremendous burden of proof which
rests upon the opposition. Unless they
meet these difficulties which 1 have
shown and others which my colleague
will present they will have failed to
establish their case for government
ownership.
Harry H. Cooper.
The first speaker has made plain
our policy of private ownership with
adequate control. He has shown the
evils that must come with govern
ment ownership and operation of our
immense railroad system. Evils COM
pared with which the transfer of
private ownership sink into insignifi-
canoe. 1t is my purpose to show the
utter impracticability of this policy
from business standpoint. The sys-
TEN which we need and must have
here in the United States is the sys-
tenn which can best fill the needs of a
rapidly developing country. We must
have the system that is more progress
sive, the system that is run on busi-
ness principle and will give the best
service, quantity and quality consid-
cred. Government ownership is Inn
practicable here in the United States
because 1t cannot meet these require
ments. First, it cannot fill the needs
of rapidly developing country.
Not Reason.
The opposition have this evening
urged the present inadequacy of rail-
road service in the northwest as a
reason for government ownership, but
closer analysis shows this to be one
of the strongest arguments against
such a policy. The apparent made
quacy in the northwest is due to two
things, the almost uninterrupted bliz-
yards of the past month and second,
to the wonderful development and I'M
paralleled prosperity of the country.
OF the difficulties railway men have
had to meet this winter little need be
said. We all know that the fight
against snow and weather has been
an up hill one.. 1t has exhausted the
skill and energy of skilled railroad
men. Men whose interest are personal,
laborers who are under the eye of
capable managers. THE affirmative
propose to put in their places men who
get their positions not through eff
cheney but by political pull. They pro-
pose to inaugurate system where
there is no responsibility. A system
where the only pocket-book touched
is that of the government.
New Population.
But the important reason for the
inadequacy is the wonderful develop
ment of the country with a cor
responding enormous increase of
freight and passenger traffic. More
new population has entered the five
states from Minnesota to the Pacific
than any other part of the country
The wheat yield of these states has
increased in the last five years 1OO,-
100000 bushels or 100 per cent
Though not manufacturing district
these products have increased twenty
five per cent. In short, the added de-
mand on the Great Northern and Nor
thern Pacific in five years equals the
demand on the other roads of the
county in ten. This is the problem
which maintain government owner
ship can never cope with.
What Companies Have Done.
Let us see what the two railway
systems of the northwest have done
to meet this second difficulty of in
creased traffic and development. In
the last five years ending June 1906
the motive power had been increased
ninty per cent or nearly doubled. And
when the management saw trouble
ahead neither time nor money was
spared. Since last June these two
systems have added 100 locomotives to
their equipment, an increase of min
teen per cent year. Now as to
freight cars. although during the last
five years ten thousand cars have been
added to the equipment of the Great
Northern since last June, 3,772 have
been received. This is an increase in
tonnage capacity Of 1876 per cent or
thirty per cent a year.. During the
last three years the Northern Pacific
has ordered 1880 cars and actually
received in 1906, 4,44O. These fig
ures are more effective proof than any
arguments of the alertness and energy
of private management. Would the
government at Washington, with every
other section of the country CRYING
for cars dominated by the east as my
colleague has shown, Go as much for
these western states?
In the place of this progressive and
tried system the gentlemen propose to
put cumbersome centralized maj
chine devoid of initiative and depend
ing on the whims of congress and the
party in power. have shown the i'm
mense growth of the country and now
private management is endeavoring
and will ultimately succeed in meet
ing the needs. How will government
ownership and operation cope with
these difficulties? We must have more
than a visionary theory, we must
have a practical working proposition.