The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-06-08


by President Roosevelt and maxim
It's report in 1909.
Public ownership Will make raj
way operation comparatively SAT
for railway workers. There are no,
every year more than one hundre
and fifty thousand persons eithe
killed or injured as a sacrifice Z
profits under private ownership. !
will benefit labor further By the bet
terment OF wages and greater steadi
ness OF employment It will max,
service the end and object of all rail
way operation, management an,
methods. while under private owner
ship IL is not unusual that every
thing, including human life, is sacri
feed for profit
1t required many years OF public
agitation, resulting in a national law
to secure the general use OF automat
&c couplings. uniform steps, hand
holds, and other safety devices in
railway equipment to protect the
lives and limbs of employees; and
every step in this humane program
has been fought most bitterly by the
financial interests that dominate
absolutely railway political activi.
ties
Public ownership will standardize
the management of all railways and
steamship lines on the basis of the
most efficient, best-managed trans
portation lines of the country, not
only eliminating bad management
and inefficient management, but also
reducing overhead charges by consol-
idat.ng many small railways into one
big system under one directing head,
thereby effecting enormous savings.
As long ago as 1891, Coils P.
Huntington said: Il am satisfied
that the best results will not be
reached until substantially all the
transportation business Of this
country is done by one big COM
pany. What is wanted is not
more than two or three-one would
be better-great carrying compan-
les. With the best talent in the
country to manage and control such
an organization, many millions
could be saved to those who use the
railroads of the country and millions
to those who own them, over what
is now being received by the frag-
mentary, badly equipped and in
managed roads that, with
a few exceptions, now exist"
Mr.. Huntington of course, thought
that one great management would be
private monopoly. We know better
If any economic principle is settled
it is that private monopoly is intoler-
able; but the principle of unity is
correct, and the one masterful man
a cement should be vested IN the peo-
Pile
Public ownership will wipe out of
existence preferential rates on raw
materials and manufactured pro-
ducts that now favor certain locali-
ties and cities. This favoritism-
this inequality of rates and service
results in the lowest possible haul
for railways. 1t accelerateS the
crowding into cities and manufacture
ing districts of poorly housed, ILL
fed, ill-clothed workers; and these
are producing may of the
evils of our time.
Sources of Political Power
1t increases the cost OF food and
other living expenses TO the wage
earners and lowers prices received
by the farmers for their products;
and all this is only for the purpose
of increasing the profits OF the rail-
ways that arbitrarily fix discriminate
ing rates. Under government owner
ship all freight traffic between COM
mon points could be transported
over natural routes. using the short
est mileage and the lowest grades.
To estimate accurately the saving
that could be effected by routing
freight in this way is impossible;
but it is safe TO say that it would be
enormous.
Public ownership would tear up by
ire roots the most dangerous, cor
.upting and insidiously powerful po-
itical influence in The United States.
1 will remove the political ma
,hinery thru which elections are in
luenced or controlled in the inter
,sts OF monopolies, trusts. combines,
md every species of special priv
eye. II will take from the rich and
powerful the greatest source Of their
political power, thru which national,
toto on.5 ponuicinal LEGISLATION and