The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-23
HITS ALASKAN BILL
AS POPULIST PLAN
Senator Williams Leads Fight
Against Proposed Gov
eminent Railroad.
CALLS 1T UNDEMOCRAT1C
Public Ownership a Failure in
Foreign Countries. He
Charges.

WAeHiNGroN. Jan c2-There was an
other lively debate in the Senate to-day
on the subject of Government ownership
and operation of railroads IN connection
with the consideration Of the Alaska rail-
road bill. Senator Williams of Mississippi
denounced the bill as undemocratic and
charged that Democratic Senators who are
now supporting " had embraced the doc
trines OF the Popullst party forty years ago.
Senator Chamberlain of oregon. In
charge of the bill. made sharp reply in
which he said that 1t came with very poor
grace from Mr.. Williams TO condemn the
measure In view of the fact that the Cow
eminent had appropriated large sums of
money for improving the lower Mississippi
River In order to aid naNigation and afford
transportation facilities to meet the COM
petition of railroads.
Senator Pittman of Nevada opened the
debate advocating the BILL. lie said that
the building Of Government railroad in
Alaska was justified by the need for more
gold upon which to- build structure Of
credit, and that the railroads built and
operated by the Government would de-
velop the gold fields and avoid the dam
gers OF expansion pointed out by Senator
Root In the currency debate. The Senator
insisted that this consideration alone
would Justify the Government enterprise
even II there were no agricultural, coal or
mineral lands to develop.
"FaiIure IN other Countries."
Senator Burton of Ohio declared that
Government ownership Of railroads had
been failure In foreign countries and said
he was opposed to II. senator Cummins
said he was unwilling to announce himself
In favor OF Government. ownership and OPP
GRAFTON of railroads, hut that Il would be
brought about whenever the people of tho
United States made up their minds that
"a bs.ff s,r
vice through Government ownership.
Senator sutherland insisted that the
day might come when the Government
would undertake to own and operate the
railroads, but that It would be a sad day
Tor the United States when II arrived.
Senator Williams, in his attack on the
bill, said II was a proposal to expend siO,-
100000 TO build railroad for the accom-
mediation of 500. 900 persons.
THE democratic platform at Baltimore
said Senator Williams. NOW that you
have started on this experiment OF Gov
eminent ownership. where do you expect
TO stop? You propose to issue bonds and
in that way try to cover up what you are
doing. You propose to tax posterity on
tho theory that posterity never did any
thing for you 30 you Will do nothing for
poeterity.
Where VIII Plan Stops
'Once you nave started In the work
Of putting the Government in private busi-
mess. where are you going to stop? There
are Democrats here who twenty years
ago were fighting Populists. who advo-
Gated these very doctrines.
You want to turn this Government
ever to State socialism on the theory that
the Government can manage business bet
ter than private enterprise. The Govern
ment built n cable in Alaska u few years
ago at a cost $l,0S0.000. In six years.
II l am correctly advised, that cable has
paid for itself on the business carried on
between Seattle and Alaska and has
yielded a surplus OF $4,000. II exacted
a toll Of SO cents a word for transmitting
a message from Seattle to Alaska, while
IL costs only IS cents a word to send a
private cable from Seattle to London"
Mr.. Williams declared that If any pri-
vate company had charged such ex,raor-
binary tolls there would have been n
terrible howl and a Congressional inves-
ttgation.
Senator Sutherland drew an interesting
forecast of what the Government would
be doing when the country embarked on
Government ownership and operation OF
railroads. He said that instead OF hear
ing complaints that extravagant appro-
priations were being made Tor public build
ings in small towns each Senator and
member would be trying to put through
bills to extend new railroads into his dis
trtct and provide better terminal facili-
ties.
vote on the bill will be taken in the
Senate tomorrow.
Bitter opposition 10 the Alaskan bill
developed in the House. Southern MEM
hers. opposed to government ownership.
have organized 10 defeat the measure.
The leaders have informed the Admins
tratiOn that the Alaskan bill Is in danger
and that II will be beaten when it comes
70 vote unless there Ia a change OF
situation.