The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-03-16
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP vs.
STANDARD OIL

outIdSeouSIy uIsH. ~ Is GONG
higher.
This situation is due entirely to
the monopoly enjoyed by private
individuals.
Now. then, gasoline is not lux
ury, or its use a matter of choice.
Gasoline is a public necessity.
Gasoline is as much public ne
cessity and a public utility as a
railroad or a street-car system.
And no private individual or
association of private individuals
has any legitimate right to the un-
regulated monopoly of public ne
cessity and public utility.
The Examiner advocates. and
long has advocated, the public re-
gulation or publicowner>hip of
public necessities and public util-
tiles, and the present conditin:,
makes us begin to think seriously
that there should be public own
ership of the oil supplies-for two
reasons. in particulars:
First, because of the essential
and constantly increasing import
ance Of oil to the nation and 10
the world, and,
Second, because of the reckless
ness with which this wonderful
wealth is being wasted and dissi-
pateG by the careless oil produc-
crs and because of the oppressive
ness with which the virtual mo-
noply of this business is being EN-
ployed by private individuals.
Oil is a power supply which is
supplanting coal. In the near flu
ture it will almost wholly sup
plant coal. 1t is a power supply
immensely superior to coal in the
variety of its possible uses and in
its efficiency. Intelligent and con-
scientious ownership could and
would conserve much of this vital
ly important power supply.
In times past nations have been
mace great by possessing iron and
coal. This is likely to he read
justment. and the nations which
possess Oil and water power will
be the great manufacturing ma
tions of the future. They will be
the great commercial nations, too
if in addition to oil and water pow
er they possess merchant marines
and he skill to nourish their over
seas trade.
This country has enormous sup
plies of oil. II has wonderful Wa
ter power supplies. 1t has raw
materials of every kind to make
into goods. 1t has inventive gem
ius, requisite machinery, efficient
and intelligent workmen. 1t can
have a merchant marine whenever
it decides to build and own such
a marine. And with it's wealth,
it's capital and it's intelligence.
America can capture and keep the
bulk Of the trade of the world, pro
vided it wisely conserves and SEN
sibly uses its oil supply.
The Importance of conserving
this oil supply, then, is very oh
vious and the importance of pre-
venting the virtual monopoly of
this oil supply from being used
To cypress the public and to pre-
vent the full development of i'll
Custries, requiring the oil supply
is equal obvious.
IL our government is going to-
be anything more than an alabor-
at" police system To preserve So
rial peace: if it is to be Il c"nstruc
tiv" influence tn aid in the develop
m"nt of the r"lintry and he "X-
tension of our commerce. il seems
to- US that the government must
interest itself in the conservation
and control of he things which
are essential iO 10" development;
of our industries ami IT," "Ntrm--
sion of our commerce in such
things as power supplies, means
of transportation and other publ
lie necessities.
Ant. it seems to us that tn"
government must cit Their fix prices
and other conditions under which
lle>" things can b." conducted, or
tn" government must itself own
these essential things and EN-
pl"y them for he general bennett;
of tn" citizenship,
The present action of he oil
trust is merely an educational en-
anpI" of what ought not to be
done an,: what tn" government
should prevent being dome, either
by price regulation or by public
ownership.
The present bad situation is the
result of tI" a>ininc assumption
of r"actinnary minds that combi-
nations can h" destroyed and COM
petition can ~" restored.
The advantages of combination
i'm economy and efficiency have
become 81 obvious to all intcIli-
gent business men that business
will moi abandon combination.
The attempt t" destroy c"mbina-