The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1914-06-12
THE WORLD DO MOVE, AFLER ALL
Harold ". Houston.

W
After ALL old world do move We reminded of this by
an article on the Government Ownership OF Railroads., written
by Ex-Governor Subb Of Kansas and published IN the Saturday
Evening Post its issue OF June 9Th The article is important
that advances new reasons Tor government owner
ship, but because shows the evolution OF ideas from ndlvlda
collective ownership Of the social OF life Governor SuOs
when he elected Of Kansas he had all the
venia ideas about the superiority Of individual control over pub
lie control Like all Of his elucaton came through mediums
controlled by the INTERESTS They told him. just they tell all
of us that the government do things that it
would corrupt politics. lot Of other baedash OF the same
Sort But Governor Stubbs' election to Office throw him
political arena he had close quarters with the
Beast He found providing through all the devious ways of po-
locod n oe # secured all sorts of Favorable legislation
foed innumerabe bills by its nsdous lobbying Worst of
all made the federal judiciary the tool of the railroad and allied
interests
oxenor Stubs then that he became to gov
regulation and all that thus taking the next step in his
menal evolution Then came his establishment he watched
The stocks and bonds of issoHed corporations mount upward
and their dividends and earnings increase Finally he driven
reject regulation and boldly for government
ship the only remedy And he rightly that tremendous
ow would thus be struck the most corruptng Influence in
American politics. $3.50
One wonders why Governor Suhbs ability and edca
ion had go through all this experience before he arrived at
ownership Germany and Belgium not to mention
France and other European countries had long come to
he conclusion beatedy reached by the governor There they
were living examples but apparently he blind to their history
and experience If of Governor Subbs learning have to have
his idea knocked into their heads is little wonder that the rest
If have such hard time arriving at the same conclusion Here
Of the governors conclusions:
Pubc ownership will make railway operation comparatively
hundred and fifty thousand either killed or injured
sacrifice to profits under private ownership 1t Will benef
labor further by the betteent of and greater steaeS or
employment 1t will make service the end and OBJECT OF all r-
way operation management and methods while under private
ownership it is not unusual that everything including human me-
is sacrificed for profit
1T is almost invariably the rule American cities has
been European cities that when public utility taken over BY
the municipality it is BY that very taken permanently out OF
politics. According to Professor Ely Our terrible corruption N
cities from the rise Of private corporations IN conro OF n
na m0nOpOes: and when we AbofSh then we 90 away WIZ
The chief cause OF colruptOn
puic ownership will standaize the management of all rail
WAYS and steamship lines the basis of the most ecn pest
BAD and inefficient management 'ut i'So it"ucInE . t
charges By consolidating sna raj ways INTO one big system
under directing head thereby eectng enormous SAVINGS
What Governor StubhS says about the influence OF Va.e
owned railroads upon social and political e IS true IN great
degree of the influence of all privately owned enterprises
But we will have 90 year after teaching the same lessor
over and over The Gov Stubs and the Henry Dubbs will still
arguing that privately owned oil industries ana co MINES
are superior publicly owned They will dig up all the od rg
nens and hur them again They will tell us we can bl
canals railroads, and coal mines that these are pn0hc u
lies but we cannot run the industry the oil industry the
steel industry and all that They seem think that there some
mysterious meaning pubc utilities that make them peculiarly
matters for mbjc ownership Victims Of phrases. They
never stop to anayze the meaning of puic utitleS natural
monopoes They swallow them at one gup and dismiss e
matter with air of nalty assuming that their argument IS
vnce The unsophisticaed StubS and DubbS never seem TO
know that they mounting patucS specially manufacufed
for the interests Thus they pedde ready made reasons al"
vanced by the henchmen Of the nations robbers
But let take heart as we reflect that we are acti'E noH
In fact appear be making tremendous headwy as we Waic
the mile posts flying BY Every day the Social leyon VII
larger he sky Every day the idea Of social control g;S
npon individual control Every day the right of the people to co.,
ectivey the Of life makes converts The sweep q
events drives the Stubs and Dubs into the nn the SOCIALISTS
OF course government ownership is not Socialism, but is one q"
the steps the process of evolution from capitalism to oclIS
and it is long step evidence of the growth OF social con-
seriousness and social purpose After get all these things we
nay arrive the concn ion of Mr. Dooev who advocated nc
lie has learned Valuable and he is teaching it to the Dub
IN manner that should open Of their dreamy eyes