Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-02

! this time in the United States The indi-
| ownership experienced on a small scale
| i'll New Zealands contracted railroad
| system would be reproduced on grand
scale if government ownership We're ap-
Piled to the vast railroad system of the
| United States. Frank Parsons in his
! Story of New Zealand says in 1904 that
| the evils incidental to government owner
| ship had not then materialized in New
Zealand and were not likely to manifest
| themselves to any serious extent where
| the government as well as the railroads
We're really owned and operated by the
people. Where political rings and bosses
are in control. he SAYS. these evils are
very likely to occur Following this line
of thought Parsons declares that gov
eminent ownership OF the railroads.
While. in his opinion, good for New lea
land. would not do for the United States.
1T could not be done in America yet, for
the common people do not own the gov
eminent That is the first condition. So
long as Industrial magnates may control
the government they can control the
railways either directly or indirectly. In
New Zealand the common people own and
operate the government. and are there
fore able to have the railways managed
in their interest. a" The essence OF
ownership is control. If railway KINGS
trust magnateS and industrial princes.
with tine aid of Inscriptions politicians.
control the government in whole or IN
part to that extent the government -
owned not by the people. but by the
monopolists and politicians The iniua-
dive and referendum. giving the people ell
fectiVe and continuous control. are essen
tiai to render public ownership OF the
government certain and secure
But the initiative and full referendum
are not essential to direct government py
the people. for New Zealand does not
utilize them. And if the people have in
fa G.; control Of the government, whether
in New Zealand or the United States.
they will also control the railways in
the peoples interest whether or not they
own and manage the railroads directly.
and government ownership is thus not
essential to the peoples control
Street Railway Control.
In New Zealand many OF the tramways
are municipality owned. as in Wellington,
the capital Bad as conditions are in
this respect under trolley syndicate man
agement in many cities of the United
States these conditions would hardly be
improved by turning over control to the
boss and the machine of the average
American municipality. The govern
ments of our great cities must first be
taken from bosses and organized non
taxpayers before government control pc
comes a blessing. In Washington private
corporate control is now under such
direct and effective government super
vision that no thought OF government
ownership arises.
Undoubtedly great evils have accompa-
MED the vast development benefits OF the
American private ownership system. Ad-
ministration of railroads and tramways
for the benefit of the people without UNI
Just discrimination and without belnS
used to build up or maintain monopolist1c
trusts or combines must be secured in the
United States. if not by government own
ership then by strong government con-
troll using the interstate commerce com
mission and all laws on the statute book
for this purpose. strengthened by amend
ment if necessary Thus either by gov
eminent ownership with Improvement and
publication of the government or by
stringent governmental regulation OF
railways tsteam and eiectric). the soupe
doctrine must be enforced that fran
chises to public utilities corporations are
not gifts but grants for which compen-
sation must be made to the public.
The grant of temporary use of the
streets should be accompanied by com
pensation to the public for such use and
bv retention of power by the government
to regulate such use in the public inter
est The corporations have clamored that
ownership and control are inSeparable,
that the government should not exercise
control unless ii acquires ownership. But
this argument has been properly disre-
garded 1t has been held that the rights.
powers and privileges given to a common
carrier corporation by the public furnish
the necessary consideration for the reten-
ton by the public of a certain control OF
the corporations which it has created
and in effect endowed This conclusion
applies both to steam railways and to
tramways and to national, state and mu-
nieipal control. The interstate commerce
commission regulates common carriers
between the states with wholesome re-
Suits beneficial to everybody. 1t checks
monopolistic favoritism and discrimina-
ton on one side and drastic granger anti
railroad legislation on the other. So in
municipalities and states in legislative
action on street railway franchises the
same sound principle has been recognized
and applied.
Railway Development in Washington
The United States has been under OBJ
servation as the direct regulator of steam
and tram railways in Washington. the
national city. In this District under the
exclusive control of Congress the national