Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-18
BELIEVE CAUSE STRENGTHENED
sY ATTITUDE OF COURTS AND
COMMERCE BOARD.
SEE TENDENCY TO GIVE
LEEwAY TO CORPORATIONS
Question Certain to Be Discussed Free
iy During Next Session Of Congress
lawmakers Growing More Favor
able to Public Ownership Of Many
UtiIities-Fieid is Widening.
Especial Correspondence


ownership advocates, far from being
displeased over recent decisions OF the
courts which tend TO narrow the eff
feet of the Sherman law and take the
teeth out of that law, takes the view
that an evolution is in progress toward
the end which they believe to be the
right and sound one.
Because OF the tendency Of the courts
in respect to the Sherman law and be-
cause of the course of the interstate
commerce commission in letting the
railroads increase their rates, it is ex-
pected that government ownership
supporters will be more than usually
active in the next session Of con-
grsss.
Not that there will be any legislation
or an approximation to ii for pubic
ownership. However. each session OF
congress sees the talk OF government
ownership discussed more freely. IN
doubtediy the increase Of railroad rates
which the interstate commerce COM
mission allowed in the eastern ad-
vanced rate case led many people TO
the conclusion that government resu-
lation was rot proving success ana
that .he railroad problem would not be
settled until the roads were taken
over by the government The west
err advanced rate case IS stil pending.
# the western roads are allowed any
thing liE- ,:.c increases they ask, the
feeling watch viii be stirred among
western shippers and western railroad
comm .ssions VIII be bitter and the
tendency vii. DE TO adc to the list OF
government ownership advocates
Congress, Grows Favorah:s,
Nc one whr has not been asleep can
fail 10 perceive that CONGRESS is get
ting more and NOR inclined to be
favorable tc government ownership IN
one .,srTr or another The opposition
Is no.h!aE- lik2 as pronounced as Il
was five O; ter yeacs ago, One ev.-
denc, % this Is see. - the governments
coustrrG,;csI OF railroad system fo-
Alaska Another evidence is seen IN
the proposed government. ownership OF
STEAMSHIP: lines legislation which VII
be PASSED next session according IN
pr.seas indications Net yet has
bill. been psssec fer government own-
ership OF telephone and telegraph lines
bu; this has been recommended by rwe
successive administrations Of the post
office department. and has powerful
champions in congress who are going
TO force il to the front al the tirst OPP
portunity.
Il vii, 81 course be some years be-
fore congress gets up 10 the point OF
considering government ownership o.
the railroads as the chief issue before
it. Advocates of this policy. however,
think il viii he recognized as the fore
most issue much sooner than is gem
orally believed. In fact some of the
! leading railroad men Of the country
have made the same prediction. Much
Will depend on the Interstate commerce
commission. The more that body gives
dissatisfaction, the more the govern
ment ownership theory is likely TO
I make headway.
Field Grows Wide.
But there is field of possible gov
| eminent ownership which lies beyond
1 government ownership of such utilities
Z! as the telegraphs and the railroad
/ This is government ownership Of great
| industries such as the coal mining In
| dustry. the iron industry and the like.
This is one OF the things advocated
.,by the socialists but it is quite true
! many persons who are not socialists
/ believe the public should take such in
7 dustries over. II is in this connection
T that the recent decisions relative &c
4 the Sherman law are important. II
I the courts take the view the Sherman
! law should not be applied. or not APP
! piled strictly. in cases like the stee
! corporation case, the shoe machinery
| case. the cash register case, the plumb
| ers' case and others OF that sort, then II
/ follows that the new policy is to be
1 existence Of great aggregations OF
1 capital under control Of the federal
| trade commission. But will the COM
/ mission control? That is the question