The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-01-11
BY 8. H. GOODFELLOw

Let the nation own the trusts"

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Let the nation own the trusts"
When there is a big task to per-
form that would be of advantage to
the country Uncle Sam is always the
one who, either must perform the
whole task or assist in its perform
ance, q. &, see the Panama canal
and the irrigation Of arid lands and
the building Of our trans-continental
railways.
Uncle Sam is building the whole Of
the canal and, in the irrigation pro.
position. is doing the biggest work.
In the building OF our trans-contlncnt-
al railways he has been the chief
cornerstone and backbone Of the en-
tire proposition by his andgrants
and subsidies, which have been sutii-
cient to build the roads.
Now that they have been built by
Uncle Sans (the people's) backing
the promoters claim to be the owners
and are taking all The profit and di-
yidends.
In building the trans-continental
lines Of railway the promoters have,
practically. acted as the engineers or
foremen for the people while they
(the people, have furnished the
w~here-with-all with which to build
them.
Have not the engineers on the ca.
nal as much right, practically, to
claim 10 own the canal when finished
as the promoters OF the railways have
to own the railways?
Why should any man say that for
Uncle sam TO own and operate the
railroads is too much for government
TO do?"
We have already shown that the
biggest Of all big business" is left
or put-on-to the government TO do.
Collective ownership and operation
might be extended to the railway
system with great advantage and
benefit TO the people and country at
large. BY such operation the number
Of wrecks and accidents could easily
be materially lessened by running
the roads for the benefit and convent
ence of the people instead of running
them wholly for profit.
III ,,p,lar - u,rool. apJ aa.iJnnt-
on railroads in this country in com
parison with the same in the old
world are as five to one. This I'M
reasonable difference is almost Who'll
ly due to the companies disregard for
the rights and safety of the public
and their insatiate greed for profits.
The coal mines are a gift Of God
to the people, when He gave them
the earth and the fullness thereof
and ne man or company has any
more right to hold them for his own
private gain than he will to monopo-
lie the Golden Streets Of the New
Jerusalem"
Collective ownership of the coal
mines and operation in connection
with the railways would be Of I'M
told advantage to the whole people.
In 1902 during the great strike in
the anthracite coal mines, there went
up a great cry from the people in all
parts Of the country, regardless of po-
litical affiliations, for the president
of the United States to open up the
mines and deliver the coal to them.
They knew then, as the people
know now, that Uncle Sam can do
anything he undertakes.
Had We had, at that time, a presi-
dent with back bone and who was not
subservient to the coal trust the peo-
pie would very soon have been getting
their own coal and would not have
been forced to burn wood and hay
and buffalo chips and GOV chips to
prevent freezing and to cook their
food. II the railroads and mines We're
once put into collective (government)
would never again surrender them to
corporation control no more than
they will now turn their public high
ways over to a corporation and per-
NIT that corporation to grade their
roads and build their bridges and
then charge a toll for the privilege