The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-08-11


One of the most important features
Of the bill is contained in the latter
| part of section II, which gives the
Interstate Commerce Commission au-
| thority.
(a) To order the construction of
tracks connecting railways with the
docks Of water carriers and to deter
mine the terms and conditions on
which such tracks shall be operated;
(b) To establish through routes and
maximum joint rates between and
over rail and water lines;
(c) To establish through proper
tional rates by rail to and from the
ports to which traffic is brought or
from which 1t is taken by water car
riers; and
(d) To require railways to give
equal treatment to all steamship lines
engaged in foreign trade.
These provisions, If adopted, VIII go
far towards establishing the needed
coordination Of rail and water trans
portation and would extend the bene-
fits of the Panama Canal and Of other
waterways and harbors far and wide
over the country.
We believe that the portion OF the
bill providing
First, that no tolls shall be charged
at the Panama Canal to American
Second, giving the Interstate Com
merce Commission authority to regu-
late the relations between carriers by
water and carriers by rail should be
retained;
And that the portion prohibiting the
ownership or control of water carriers
by competing railways should be re-
stored.
We earnestly request that you urge
the senators from your state to work
for the passage of the bi1l in the form
outlined above, and that you act at
once, since consideration Of the bill
has already begun.
Every citizen Of Washington county
and every reader of this article should
comply with the request Of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors Congress,
and write to their congressman and
senators asking especially that that
portion of the bill prohibiting the
ownership or control Of water carriers
by competing railways, should be re-
stored to the bill This is thing that
has been eliminated In the senate, and,
If the bill contains a joker, is the
joker IN the bill.
I believe we should be always look
ing for an opportunity to improve con-
ditions; that we should study our
national affairs; that ideas should be
advanced and exchanged with a view
to improving them. At the National
Waterway Convention held in Nash
vile, Tenn, I advanced a plan thought
out during the last FIVE years Of water
way work. I offer it to you for your
consideration:
IT believe in the right Of competi-
ton.
Many years Of trial have proven the
practice of competition to be accom-
panied with costs which do not legit-
imately belong to commerce and trade.
All unnecessary costs should be
eliminated from the price of neces-
stiles in manufactured articles, food,
clothing and transportation.
l say this because ! do not believe
the purpose of life is to spend all Of
our time earning the necessary money
to pay for necessities. To reduce the
cost of the necessities Of life to a
minimum, it is evident competition
must cease. I do not mean the right
or privilege of competition is to be
taken from US. We have the right to
live in trees and caves. as did our fore
fathers.
If monopoly combination and CEN
traliZation have become economic ex-
pedients, should we not use them for
our mutual benefit? Combination and
Capitalization are the results Of econ
omic necessity. But they have been
plS INTO GH6CL BF ana cor
porations and utilized for their benefit,
with results too well known to discuss
here.
Government ownership f. attended
with the evils Of bureaucracy, ineffi-
cheney, extravaganza, waste, supernu-
meraries, Indifference The tendency
in government ownership is to sup
press individuality. Personality must
be fostered and utilized Besides. to
hwy fha fITOadr alone xuo1gId an
tail national debt Of about IA billion
dollars.
We conclude then, that competition
Is economically impractical: private
monopoly; selfish; government owner
ship, inefficient.
How then may the benefits Of CEN
tralization be secured for the majority
Of the people?
Mr.. VIM. W. Cook Of New York has
recently written an article entitled
Industrial Democracy or Monopoly
in which he sets out a plan. A Sc
curity- holding corporation is to be
formed by congress and administered
for the investing public Of the United
States; congress to name the first di-
reCtors who viii be self-perpetuating
Dividends limited. Surplus profits to
go to the government or consumed by
reduction in prices. Stock would be
salable because Il would have the gov
eminent guarantee, issues of which
would be regulated by the Intersta te
/ Comerce Commission. He then de-
| scribes the method Of acquiring the
property from the present owners.
whereby "the government would not
be called on TO respond to its guar
anty, or pay one dollar
This plan is somewhat after that of
the bank Of England. The danger