New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-13
Establishing Correct Principles on
Fact Basis.

The question of public ownership
and management of the telephone ana
telegraph and the government man
agement of the parcels post Is one not
10 be settled at haphaZard. It Is one
that demands scientific study and
determination Of principles.
Yet in this whole field OF govern
mental activity no principles have been
definitely established on TACT basis
in this country Many years ago, IN
1867. when the question of the pur-
chase of the telegraphs and railways
was pending in Great Britain, W.
Stanley Jevons. one OF the most care.
ful and unprejudiced Investigators OF
the last century, stated that IN MS
Judgment state management possessed
advantages under the following condi-
tons:
Cd Where numberless widespread
operations can only be efficiently con-
nected, united and co-ordinated IN
single, all-extcnsive government sys-
TEN.
(2) Where the operations possess an
invariable routine-like character.
49, Where they are performed under
the public eye or foI-he service OF IN
dividuals, who will Immediately detect
or expose any failure or laxity.
(4 Where there is but little CAPT
tai expenditure, so that each years
revenue and expense account shal
represent with sufficient accuracy the
real commercial conditions of the de-
partmcnt.
Where Government Management Is
Unwise.
In other cases ne thought govern
ment management unwise. Jevons
thought the postoiiice, in carrying let
Z tiers, was success, while IN the same
article he asserted that IL is but TOO
sure that some of the state manu-
/ featuring establishments, especially the
} dockyard, form the very types OF m
competent and wasteful expenditure
They are the running sores OF the
country, draining away our financial
power"
In 1875, summing up the experience
for some years of the postoihce with
the telegraph, he regretted the man
cial failure of the telegraph depart
ment because it puts an al
most masquerade obstacle IN the way
of any further extension of govern
ment industry in the present genera
ton"
He favored, strongly a parcels post,
hut said that "the experience with the
telegraph department demonstrated
that a government department cannot
compete in economy with an ordinary
commercial firm subject to competl-
ton"
Yet he liked the idea Of a parcels
rost. and four years later, in 1873, he
urged strongly the adoption OF state
parcels post for small packages, on the
/ ground that it would be "a really great
work of social reform to be achieved"
The Question of Railways.
The same line of argument, however,
seemed TO convince him that II was not
practicable or wise for the state to
+ take over the railways, chiefly on ac-
count of the complexity OF manage
ment and the waste that would be al
most certain to result from govern
ment administration. In connection
with the cost accounting that | have
Just mentioned, this sentence, written
/ in 1874 in England, is interesting:
/ mo English government department
/ has ever yet, believe. furnished real
balance sheet showing actual CONNER
cal results from a years work, with
allowances for capital invested, unless
| il be the postoffice, which, as | have
said, has little or no capital expenditure
| to account for"
| The question arises again, Can we
/ find a guiding principle TO determine
where the postoffice shall stop It's
work? II has already undertaken ID