The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-01-13

graph, Is to be planned here within
q few days. S. w. Brookhart OF
is in charge of the en-
bryonic organization. The fact that
the movement is to become nation
wide, and that the association will /
delve into every phase Of the govern
ment ownership plan is of deepest in
terest to everyone. Colonel Prook .
hart today explained his organ cation /
plans In the following article exclus- |
lively for the United Press:
y
by s. w. Brookhart. written for the
United Press.l
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 owne ship
Of public utilities. Its scope will not
be limited to the railroads, but 1t will
include all public utilities. In fact.
members have already taken are for
the investigation of government own
ership of telegraph and telephones.
Municipal utilities will receive imme-
date attention, and the great ques
ton of government ownership of the
railroads in all its phases will be d.
vided and classified, and assigned to
different members fer investigation
and report.
The need of an organization OF this
kind is apparent to every thoughtful
person. Already private ownership
has many organizations and many or
gans that give great and constant
publicity to the advantages of private
ownership. This information is ex-
ceedingly partisan. 1t often omits so
much Of the truth, or adopts a con-
struction SO foreign to the rell facts,
that it positively misleads or de-
ceives public thought Immense sums
of money are spent in disseminating
this class OF literature all over the
United States, and there is no organ
ization anywhere to combat it or pre-
sent the whole truth.
1 It has been said that the tranapoc-
! tation question has never been set
/ tied anywhere in the world except by
public ownership. 1t Is likewise said
I that it is 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
i world. England and the United States
are the only countries Of the first
class not adopting it. These facts, to
gether with the further fact that the
railroads are constantly demanding
increased rates, in spite of the enor
nous Increase in business, have pre-
scented the question of government
ownership to the American people as
a live Issue. They are careful and
a cautious people They will not ad
vance In the dark. Up to the present
time, they only have glimpses of the
light
Occasionally great railroad man
like B. F. Yoakum of the Frisco ad
mits they would save 200 million dol
lars per year upon the item Of inter
est alone Then they say, If the gov
eminent credit Is SO much better
than the credit of private corpora
lions why not capitalize al the rail
roads on this good credit and s9ve
all the net earnings and all the I'm
earned increment which, added to the
interest saving. would amount tt
more than 500 million dollars re-
year, Is private ownership earn rs
this heavy toll?
Having once adopted the interroga
ton point as an emblem, the Ameri
/, can people are now beginning to asl
many questions. If private OWNERSHIP
is the only efflcisn method of hand
ling transportation, why Is 1t nece1
sary to organize inside parasite com
panies to transact the express bus
ness, the sleeping car business, TIL
oil tank car business; an6' the refris
, orator car business? In the countris
of government ownership, they ar
, not needed If rates have bean low
cred all over the world bv govern
ment ownership. why would they nc
BE- lowered in the Unitsd States?
COVE -nment ownership ha7 improve
the condition of labor all over tn
, world, why would it not ID the sam
, in our country? If government owl
, ership has improved the condition {
| service all over the world wha
) world prevent it from doing the sam
under our flag? If government owner