The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-04-16
GOVERNMENT OWN
ED RAILROADS
Ex-senator Burkett, of Nebraska, Does
Not Favor Government Owner
ship; Not Economical.
SPEAKER CITES MANY REASONS
East Favored by Legislation Affecting
Development, While the West
Has Been Deprived.

The last number of the lecture
course was given on Friday night,
when Elmer ]. Burkett, ex-Unlted
States senator from Nebraska, deliv-
cred lecture upon the subject OF
Government Ownership of Railroads"
One would hardly imagine that plat
form speaker would have selected as
his subject for popular lecture
Government Ownership of Railroads"
but Senator Burkett proved that he
made no mistake in the selection OF
his subject.
The audience was not as large as
usual no doubt because the lecture
was delivered in church. The ladies
in charge of the lecture bureau have
discovered that a larger crowd can be
secured for the opera house than for
a church. There was but a fair sized
audience to hear Mr.. Burkett's lecture,
but what it lacked in numbers it made
up in interest. 1t may seem remark
able that during the lecture of an hour
and half upon subject which per-
mitted little opportunity for exhibition
of wit, but a single person left the
church before the address was con-
cluded. The speaker announced that
he was opposed to the government
taking over the ownership of the rail-
roads, not because he believes there
will be any great difficulty in attain
ing such a step by the government, but
because, in his opinion, it would not
be advantageous or economical. His
contention is that all public utilities
under government control are operated
at greater expense than where Oper-
ated by private capital. He cited
many instances to prove the reason
for his contentious, and mentioned
especially one, the administration of
where large subsidies have been Civ
en- to make up the loss which the gov.
eminent sustains by operating the
postoffices.
Another reason which he urged
against the government owning the
railroads is that the populated Sec
lions of the country would be favored
as against the sparsely settled Sec
tons. He pointed out that while the
state of Nebraska is as large as all
New England, that on account of the
political prestige and population of
New England that Nebraska has been
Disseminated against in the railroad
mileage and the operation of the rail-
roads. He asserted that the devel-
opment and improvement of the west
ern states were held back for long
time because it was to the interest of
New England to have such result
brought about.
He further asserts that while the
east has been favored by legislation
and subsidies affecting the develop.
ment in which that section of the
country is interested, that the west.
ern states have been deprived of all
of these because of the political pres.
tige and influence of the delegations
in congress from the more populous
sections of the country. All of his
propositions opposed: to the govern
ment taking charge of railroads were
fortified by arguments so convincing
that everyone could understand the
objections to the government taking
over the management of them. He
was able to show that conditions in
those countries where the railroads
are under government control and
management are entirely different