The Mankato free press., 1917-02-02
DEFEAT Their RIVALS;
VERBAL FIGHT ROYAL
TALkFEST WAS HELD LAST
NIGHT AT HIGH SCHOOL

Waseca, St. Peter, Faribault, Question
Discussed Related to the Government
Ownership Of Railroads; Some Strik-
ing Points Were Brought Out
From Saturdays Daily.
Resolved, that the railroads in the
United States should be owned and
operated by the government.
For the second time Mankato high
Z school has won recognition as the
only school in this district and as
one of few in the state to enter the
Macalaster State Discussion contest.
In close-fought contest last
evening, Lawrence Pew, local
representative won first honors
over competing representatives from
Fulda, Faribault, st. Peter and
Waseca. Mr.. Pew's speech was
an affirmative discussion of the
question discussed His chief argu-
ments were based on the contention
that government owned roads would
give better service and would prove
more economical than private owned
lines. The speech showed great
deal of preparation, not only in
thought and composition;~b also in
arrangement of material and keen
ness of argument, and Mr.. Pew is to
be highly complimented on the laur-
ol, he boe hi
The contest last evening held in
sSs, high school auditorium began
rut S:15. Contestants from the
fous district schools drew their
"a es, in the order of speaking by
4 eight minutes being allowed for
lstructive speeches and three
.f.utes for rebuttal, the same or
- Il prevailing in rebuttal as in di-
It argument. DR.. ]. A. Hancock
the normal faculty acted as chair
A IN, and after reading the general
NJ les governing the contest, intro
" iced Harold Hammond of Faribault
5 the first speaker. Mr.. Hammond
poke on the negative side of the
question basing this contention as
follows: That government ownership
had not proven efficient elsewhere;
that government owned roads would
reduce the efficiency of the present
system and that under the present
methods of graft and political cor
ruption in the United States govern
ment owned lines would be a sue
cessful impossibility He gave ex-
ample of The pork barrel" appropri-
ations of congress with regard to
the post office and the army and
gance and waste on the railroads
would amount to hundreds of mil
lions yearly. Mr.. Hammond spoke
. in a very confident, self-possessed
way and held the attention of his
audience we'll
Pew the Second Speaker.
The second speaker of the even
ing was Lawrence Pew, Mankato's
representative. Mr.. Pew brought out
,%he fact that this government had
! : emily passed through the greatest
s4, 4s,,mic crisis in history in the
~ of the threatened railroad
,s.e and as a remedy for such con-
5ns had passed the Adamson
Mt hour law, which was inefficient,
adequate and possibly unconstitu-
I nal AS a permanent safeguard
gainst such dangers he advocated
government ownership and control.
The present needless expenditures
due to competition and industrial
strife; the expensive car associa-
tions; the great shortage of needed
cars at the present, and the well
known, but entirely unjust discrim-
nations in favor of "big business"
were all thoroughly and convincing
ly discussed by Mr.. Pew. The sue
cess of government oS-nershipp in
other countries and the satisfaction
given by the operation of like in
,stitutions in the United States were
given as proofs of the fact that such
plan could and should be adopted
at once by the Federal government.
Representative From Waseca.
John Wasbotten, representative
from Waseca was the third speaker
and in upholding the negative of the
argument .contended that the pres
emf system was far more adequate
than government owned line would
ever be and that in view of the
great importance of the railroads it
would be dangerous to risk a change
in a country as large as the United
States. He pointed out the ineffi-
cheney of government owned lines in
other countries and dwelt to consid
erable extent on the present "log
rolling" politics of congress in max
ing appropriations.
Winner of Second Place.
The fourth speaker and winner OF
second place was Miss Lorna Addi-
son of Fulda In developing the af-
firmative of the argument, Miss Ad-
olson pointed out the ever growing
tendency of railroad lines to con-
solidate the roads under one head
and argued that this was dangerous
and detrimental to, public welfare
she also showed comparison be-
tween the death rate due to rail
roads. in countries where private
ownership existed and in nations
where the lines were government
owned. In conclusion she argued the