Evening journal., 1916-12-06
Against Government Ownership


Former Governor Douglas. OF Mas
achusetts; Ellis Parker Butler. au-
hor OF pigs Is Pigs;" Hamlin Gar
land Meredith Nicholson. and Pro
lessor Emory r. Johnson. Believe in
Federal Railroad Control "state
Regulation an Obsolescent Anachron-
.sm."
To the Railway Executives Advi-
sorry Committee, Frank Trumball,
chairman, numerous citizens of prom
nence in the business. political and
literary worlds, have expressed opin-
ions as to the present systom of rail
road regulation and its needs of im-
provement Among the number are
former Governor William L. Douglas,
of Massachusetts Professor Emory
r. Johnson, of the University of Penn
sylvania: Hamln Garlin and Mere
dith Nicholson. writer's Of distinction
and Ellis Parker Butler. whose pigs
Is Pigs" has made the whole world
laugh
Mr.. Douglas. experienced both in
the ways OF politicians and business
men. opposes Government ownership
of railroads and favOrs Federal incor-
poration of interstate carriers. Says
he:
"I have given the matter careful
consideration in every way, and IL
seems to me that Federal incorpOra-
ton of the railroads doing an inter-
state commerce business is the best
thing the Government can do for the
railroads. ] am very much opposed
to the national ownership Of rail-
roads"
Hamlin Garland expresses the views
OF a pronounced Federalist with pro-
phetlc vision. Thus.
81 am in favor Of Federal Control
OF all the international enterprises
like transpOrtat on. transmission OF
general welfare.
Il do not believe in the doctrine of
state Rights" which was in fact a
survival of the days of Royal Land
Grants persistlng into the early life
of the Republic.
1T was out OF date in 1860; II is
further out of date today. The drift
OF the nation is like that OF any other
perfecting organization toward a bet
ter circulatory and vasomotor sys-
tenn
Mered't tn Nicholson dwells upon the
confusion and injustice of the pres
ent dual system Of railroad control
which he considers antiquated. Says
he
"The present dual system has al
ways seemed to me absurd, tending
toward confusion and injustice. This
is only one OF many things in which
we have out-grown the older order
IL am convinced that, in the near
future. we have got TO change our
whole manner OF dealing with trans.
pOrtat'o matters, as part of the cul-
tivation Of that efiic' ency I'm every
field that must soon engage our best
energies"
Regarding the problem OF efficient
railroad supervision from the econo-
mist's point OF view, Professor John.
son urges uniformity in regulation as
to rates, operation and railroad Fl.
nancing.
ITO enable the commercial inter.
ests OF the country 90 prosper, the
present many-sided system OF regula-
ton should be replaced by a SINGLE
system based on a weli-deGped. har-
monious and constructive policy.
zone Of the chef benefits % be da-
rived from a more general system ~
Federal regulation would be the ex.
tension OF the desirable features o
the present State policies TO all rail.
roads
THE reason for desiring the trans.
fer Of the regulation OF railro3t
rates. finance and services from c3'
States TO the Federal Government /.
not that there would be less regula
ton, but that regulation would be uni