The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-09

revolution. one thing at time Is
enough. Socialists don't know how
untricd things will work They do not
believe in infallibility even though
some Of them are catholics Now be-
cause we are not sure that our un-
tried plans are perfect, do not ask
us to do nothing but preach religion,
while less than one per cent OF the
people continue to gobble up nine
tenths Of everything as they do now
causing lives Of idleness and wicked
ness on one side, and lives of drudgery,
sin and pitiful want on the other.
Don't fail to read Mr. Cooks article.
He SAYS Competition has been Civ
ing way in all directions. This is an
age of consolidation, natural, irresisti.
BILE, inevitable. Statutes may prohibit
lit, courts may denounce it, but it can
not be stopped any more than the
tides. 1t reduces cost, controls prices
and makes more money"
He says inventor Stephenson fore
saw the inevitable seventy-five years
ago; and quotes him as saying:
Where combination is possible com
petition is impossible" Note this:
'1n spite of all efforts to prevent it,
the power of our American railroads
is being every day concentrated in
. Wall street More than that, private
capital has an almost absolute control,
= not only of the railroads, but also Of
the great industrial companies own
ing the natural resources of the coun-
, try other than agricultural. This
means the control of prices, the con-
=, troll of men, and ultimately the con-
: troll of the government itself. The
question is whether capital shall con-
troll the public, or democracy control
the government. The United States
is destined within few years to have
two hundred millions of people, two
~. hundred billions of wealth, thou
sand great cities, and fifty states
. spanning a continent three thousand
= miles wide 1t has a virile race of
men who will not much longer tolerate
= that the arteries of trade, and largely
the srbiters of value, be owned and
controlled by any class of men, cap
! talists or otherwise.
ITO preserve competition in the
- face of the underlying forces of trade
=, is impossible. To remain in the pres
!, ent control of private monopoly is
- equally So The alternative in the
20 public mind is government ownership
# of the railroads" Then Mr.. Cool
n cites failures of government owner
10 ship, giving probably the strongest ar
y gument against socialistic plans tina
~ can be urged. l admit the Difficult
~ ties, but think they can be, will be
,t must be, overcome.
A. Failures of Government Ownership.
al He states that the railroads o
It ownership have DEVELOPED grievou
,g faults: Where sociallstic influence
Id are strong, railway employees hav
st been increased beyond all reason t
Ill ludhS pldCSS lOI pOiIiCdl uSlChLiSh.
- Expenses high, revenue low, service
bad.
He says: Popular sovereignty, witt
ignorance and poverty in control
early bankrupted a number of tn
Southern states, almost bankrupte
t many in the North, bankrupted Amer
, lean cities like Elizabeth, N. j., an,
Memphis, Tenn, and piled up il
: American cities a debt of S1,71S,OOO,
S 600 GU. S. Census)." Aye! Ignorance
and poverty in control, there is tn
4 trouble He says further:
l Judge Cooley, in his History o
Michigan, gives a graphic account o
d that states disastrous experience wit
r railroads and canals, quoting, AT tn
: end nothing but the debris of our al
castles remained In reply let m
e quote from a good article in the Fet
d ruary Ladies' Home Journal, page "a
"One great state owns all the canal
e within its borders, using them as con
g petitors of the railroads to keep dow
! freight charges" Bad results are nc
necessarily eternal.
e Mr.. Cook thinks that, in acquirin
E. ownership, the government would b
&c swindled; that power and patronag
would be enormously increased; tina
d it would mean bad service, stagnatio
II of enterprise, inefficient and corrul
administration, and financial loss" "
r Mr.. Cook says, I'VE are drifting ra
lie idly toward government ownership
railroads" Yes, admit great difficU
~ ties. Even in Hawaii we know Il
"a tremendous expense of bad roads, Il
q der popular administration, with Il
q norance and poverty in control" Ev,
the great, public-spirited Tom l.. job
g son of Cleveland failed to give sat
b faction with street cars run at lie
y fare by the city. Poor service W