The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-01-09
By $. W. BrOOkhart.
written for the United Press.)

written for the United Press.)
The purpose of this organization IS
Investigation, and not agitation. 1t Will
FIRST learn the facts and then give them
publicity. 1t believes the American
people are entitled to know the truth
about both sides of the great questions
of public ownership of public utilities.
Its scope will not be limited to the rail-
roads. but it will include all public
utilities. In fact, the first and only ac-
tive steps it's members have already
taken are for the investigation OF gov
ernment ownership of telegraph ana
telephones. Municipal utilities Will re-
ceive attention, and the great question
of government ownership OF the rail-
roads in all it's phases Will be dlVioed
I and classified, and assigned to different
members for investigation and report.
Faults are Concealed.
The need of an organization OF this
kind is apparent to every thoughtful
person. Already private ownership has
many organizations and many organs
that give great and constant publicity
to the advantages of private ownership.
This information is exceedingly par
tisan. 1t often omits so much OF the
truth, or adopts a construction SO for
eign to the real facts, that it positive
ly misleads or deceives public thought |
Immense sums of money are spent III |
disseminating this class of literature |
all over the United States, and there is
no organization anywhere to combat |
it or present the whole truth.
Public Ownership Growing.
1t has been said that the transporta-
ton question has never been settled
anywhere in the world except by public
ownership. 1t is likewise said that it
is a settled question in every country
of the world where public ownership
prevails. 1t is also true that public
ownership does prevail in three-fourths
of the countries of the world. England
and the United States are the only
countries of the first class not adopt
ing it. These facts, together with the
further fact that the railroads are
demanding increased rates,
in spite of the enormous increase III
business, have presented the question
Of government ownership to the Amer
can people as live issue. They are
1 careful and cautious people. hey
will not advance in the dark. Up to
he present time, they only have
slimpses of the light.
:. Heavy Earning Power.
Occasionally a great railroad man |
ike B. f. Yoakum of the Frisco admits /
hey would save 200 million dollars /
,er year upon the item of interest
lone. Then they say, if the govern S
nent credit is so much better than the I
redit of private corporations why not
apitalize all the railroads on this good I
redit and save all the net earnings h
nd all the unearned increment which, {
dded to the interest saving, would
mount to more than 500 million dol
ars per year?> Is private ownership
arning this heavy toll? ii
Too Many Separate Companies. c
Having once adopted the interroga-
on point is an emblem, the American V
eople are now beginning to ask many y
uestions If private ownership is the :,
lily efficient method of handling trans
ortation, why it is necessary to or
anize inside parasite companies to
ansact the express business, the
eeping car business, and oil tank
If business and the refrigerator car
lsiness. In the countries of govern ;,
ent ownership, they are not needed. =,
rates have been lowered all over
q world by government ownership,
by would they not be lowered in the in