The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1914-04-06
UNFOUNOEp VIEWS,

In a letter from one of its sub
scribers, the attention of The Citizen
has been called to an editorial in
the Railroad Mans magazine, in
which the policy of the government
of planning to build and operate
railroad in Alaska is condemned.
The Citizen is asked to give its
opinion, editorally, concerning the
attitude OF the magazine mentioned.
1t is not to be expected that a
magazine published in the interest
of railroads and railroad men will
oppose private ownership, for the
effect would probably be the boycott
ting of the periodical. However,
the writer of the editorial mention
ed may be sincere In his versions.
In the editorial in the Railroad
Mans magazine there is some truth
and much that is not true. The
editorial, which is entitled, Hand
Gaping Alaska assumes that an
enterprise cannot be conducted as
we'll by the government as by pri-
vate corporation. for the alleged
reason that the government is man.
aged by incompetent politicians, who
aire men that they can control pol
itically The writer of the editor
al is either not sincere or he has
given the matter but little thought.
The assertion that the government
is unable 10 accomplish anything
well, is proved in almost every in
stance to be wrong, for it is hard
to find thing undertaken by the
government, in an industrial way.
at least. that has proved failure.
Contractors of experience agree,
for instance, that buildings erect
ed under the direction of the United
States are usually stronger and more
perfect than those erected by private
enterprises The truth of this was
proved in the San Francisco earth
quake in 1906, when the government
buildings suffered less than others.
Neither the mint nor the custom
house was noticeably impaired,
while the buildings near them went
down. The new postoffice, which
had just previously been completed,
was cracked in some places, but the
cracks were in the s.one, and had
nothing to do with the workmanship.
On the one side of this building the
ground sunk four feet.
The successful construction of the
Panama canal by the government is
he best evidence of it's ability to
complete a great enterprise success
fully. If there was any truth in the
assertion that politics prevents the
employment by the government OF
competent men, then the American
postal system, which has received
so much praise, would not be
success, and instead OF getting the
advantages of the parcel post the
public would forever remain subject
to the robbing tactics of the big
express companies.
The author of the editorial in the
railroad periodical should know, and
probably does, if he will acknowl-
edge it, that the civil service sys-
tenn does away with political in
fluence in getting and retaining ef
ficient men to work for the govern
nent
1t would not be just to declare
off-hand that the editorial contain
ed in the Railroad Mans magazine
was inspired by the selfish interests
Of the privatelyowned railroads,
which fear the result of the expert
ment that is to be tried by the
government in Alaska Of construct
ing and owning railroad, but it is
not easy to find any other excuse
for it's statements 80 varied from
actual facts and the results OF long
years of experience in other various
lines Of public enterprise.