The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-04-15
CORPORATE POWER
GOodWin's Weekly

GOOQWlu 3 weekly
In the heart of New York City, the
New York Central railroad company
has purchased seventeen full city
blocks. 1t required seven years to
accomplish that and cost $50, 100000.
Then the old structures were demol-
ished, the subways were constructed
one after the other until three of
them we're finished, and now the sur
face buildings have been commenced.
They are to cost $130,0O0,00O more,
making the whole thing the most gi-
gantic undertaking ever proposed by
single corporation. The depot
building will cover four full blocks
and will be twenty stories in height
above ground--the largest Office
building in the world. All the build
ings to cover those seventeen blocks
are to harmonic, and all be on
scale more colossal and magnificent
than was ever attempted before. The
finished work will make all the an
cient seven wonders Of the world look
like thirty cents by comparison. But
the tall buildings are not to be built
on 9 guess for the future. The archi-
tects figured that railroad terminal
that last year handled 2O,216,OOO
passengers, made it the greatest traf-
fic center in the world, and then figur-
ed, the ground space and subway
space being appropriated, how much
of the air-space above would be need
ed and made their plans accordingly.
And, further, it is figured out that all
these structures will be self-support-
Ing. There will be the thunder of
forty-f1ve railroad tracks, all instinct
with moving trains in and through
the mighty labyrinth. A constant re-
hinder that the. present Industrial age ,
OF STEEL has awakened diapason
there which is never to cease The
above Is but an outline. The Times
of New York gives full illustrations
and a graphic description of the
whole titanic work. In the meantime
Congress is discussing it's power over
and that fact provokes
the question of where and how this
official control over interests so gil
gantic is to be intelligently adjusted.
The average congressman could not
IN many days acquire any real con-
,eption of what this work in New
York includes in its designs. And
his is but one of the mighty corpora
ions which, by the use of tremendous
wealth, by the employment of thou
lands OF men; by having in their SER
ice the foremost mechanical, engi-
leering and legal ability of the ma
ions, are each building empires upon
his soil and every year dedicating
lew and grander temples than were
ver thought of before to mark their
apitals and to show the omniptence
Il their power. To cut off few
niles Of track and eliminate some
rades and curves Mr.. Hartman
Dent 100000 on the Lucin cutoff.
What would he not have done had he
cen spared fifteen years longer?
What terminal plans would he have
volved and how would he have
luipped them? And real railroading
the United States has all been Gre
ted in the lifetimes of men still Iiv-
lg. What will 1t be in half a CEN
Try more? And what will its rela-
ons with the government be? The
lge now is for money; what part will
lese transportation agencies play in
leir relations with the government?
that time the locomotive may be
anished, but If 1t shall be, something
ore splendid will be substituted and
ore elaborate ways will be devised
make the people pay tribute to
ese combines which are already al
ost stronger than the government.