The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-29
Says Roosevelt's Commission
Plan for Control of Roads
Is Worse Than So
cialism.
QUOTES SOME BIG FIGURES
Predicts Dire Disaster Unless Fright
Ia Run Their Own Business
Is Restored TO the
Railroads.

Ccntervllle, la, Aug, 2S,--Desplte NJ
interruption by a tremendous downpoui
of rain. Theodore p. shonts, president
OF the Chicago & Alton. and Inter.
borough metropolitan Railway com.
panles. delivered the principal addres,
at the Chautauqua Home Coming to ar
Immense audience this afternoon. 4
reception was rendered him in the fore.
noon by old residents on the main floor
OF the courthouse.
Mr. shonts spoke an "Transporta
tion" and pleaded that tho railroads
should be allowed to run their own
business so long as they acted hon
cstly.
We still have hope declared Mr..
Shonts, 'dhat we are going TO be let
alone anG allowed to run our own bus
mess. Destroy that hope and we will
have In this country an era of misery
that will send to eternal damnatlon
those who are responsible for It."
The transportation facilities Of q
country are, and always have been, the
true test, Of the nations commercial de-
velopment. In the last ten years the
price of farm products have increased
twenty-five per cent and the price of
food has increased neariy nine per cent
but the average freight rate has De.
creased more than eighteen per cent.
THE greatest menace today TO n
continuance of our country's growth.
and the Influence that Is doing more
tnan anything else to retard the re-
,urn OF prosperity. Is the fear on the
part of the people who own the rail.
roads that the operation Of their prop
critics will be taken out of the hands
OF the trained men who are now dl-
recting them and turned over to
boards or commissions. whether ma
iional state, or municipal. who viii
exercise full authority without the
slightest financial responsibility.
Though ] disagree entirely with his
theories | have respect for the honest
socialist, Just as | respect an honest
minister without regard TO his creed.
The honest socialist believes IN govern
nlent ownership and operation Of the
railroads and has the courage Of his
convictions, He wants to buy all of the
roads at n fair price and have them
operated by officers elected by the peo-
pie, who will be accountable TO the peo-
pie. as stockholders. But what shall We
say of people who, while frownng on
'fqcIallsm or protesting to stand in hor-
ror Of II. demand that the railroads
.fhalI fbe placed under control Of COM
missions who will take away from the
oficers of these properties, elected by
the stockholders. the right to operate
them? If this proceeding, under the
g1Iise Of law. is not taking away prop
lerty without compensation, IN viola
ton of our constitutional rights, what
is II?
we have before us an illustration Of
what even temporary cessation of the
transportation development of the
country means A year ago there were
l.GI5.Oo0 railroad employees In active
service and they received nearly st.10O.-
VVV'"vv III WAGES .ouTlnp tne year, Hc-
'cording to statistics collected by tho
government. Fully one quarter of these
men are now idle at a loss In wages
approximating sl0OO.OOO for every
working day. a year ago the railroads
were spending, s1,25O, 100000 for sup
piles, now they are spending not more
than s5oo,0O0,000. This means falling
off in railroad expenditures of three
million dollars day, and II is impcs-
slb,e to accurately state the number
OF men in forests, mines and factories,
who have been thrown out of employ
ment by the shrinkage of the demand
for equipment and supplies, but they
arc numbered by the tens of thou
sands.