The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-02
THE, NATIONS WEALTH
Bv HOLLAND

, time be compelled to resort 10 this method of securing some Of the Iunus the Dominion needs That animation was justified by the recent action ot the Dominion government Which has lound it essential to impose an income tax,
 although the total amount to be raised thereby is not very large. The lmposi- ton, however, of this Canadian income tax makes it clear that the Dominion IS disposed to utilize to reasonable eA- ! tent all of its resources in order to raise funds.
 It IS not deemed likely that Congress will so legisate as to provide the gov- ernment with money whereby the teie- phone system of the United States shall pass into government ownership. Pre- sumably as much money would be needed as is represented by the aggregate oo-
 tained by the first liberty loan. How ever it is not so much question of the expense entailed by buying the tele- phone should the bill now before Con-
 gress to that end become a law, as it is a question of men and efficiency. For the government would not be willing to pay the salaries which the highly eff cient executives of the telephone com pany receive and earn Although at the present time there are many business men whose earning capacity is each year high in the thousands of dollars, one or two of them capable of earning approx
  the government for nothing, nevertheless it will not be possible to secure for the !, administration of the telephone or rall- way service competent men for any sal ary the government would feel Justlfled 1 in offering.
 Government-owned telephone service | in other countries is woefully inefficient as compared with the telephone service | in the United States. The argument has sometimes been offered in favor of this government ownership that if the gov- | ernmenl can successfully control the pos- l tai system of the United States there is
 no reason why it should not success l fully direct the telephone or telegraph | systems. But those who are best 1n- 1 formed say that if the postotfice system | of the United States were managed with | the ability and by men who command l as high salaries as Is the case in the | great corporations 1t would yield 1 large revenue each year to the govern l ment, at the same time reducing the 1 cost of postage. That was the opinion of the late Thomas L. James, based upon | his successful experience as postmaster l of New York and as Postmaster Gen. l eral in the cabinets of Presidents Gar 1 field and Arthur.
 | The return of Howard Elliot to lead- | ing executive authority in the Northern l Pacific Railroad company inevitably sug- gests the insurmountable difficulties he | l New Haven railroad system upon it's | feet. Mr. Elliot was called from the 1 Northern Pacific to the presidency of the l New Haven on the advice of Theodore l N. Vail, J. F. Morgan and others who | believed that his selection as president would be welcomed by the citizens of | Massachusetts and Connecticut. In this | view they were correct, but the difficult | ties, many and complex, into which the | New Haven system was plunged chiefly l as result of legislative Interference l and prosecution by the department of l justice at Washington undoubtedly per-
 suaded President Elliot that younger man than he should be called to tho 1 aid of the New Haven company. In l returning to the Northern Pacific, Pres- 1 ident Elliot goes to a system which was l in a sense his first love. He might not | have accepted the New Haven company's | offer had 1t not been that his family l felt that it would be of healthful benefit
 to exchange the rigprs of a winter in the ! northwest for the more equable climate 1 of Boston. The possibilities within tho
 reach of the Northern Pacific and the
 future development of the vast country 1 through which it passes always strongly l appealed to President Elliot and tho | people of the far reaching region which ! the Northern Pacific feeds have never | failed to recognize his services to them l when he was president of that trans continental line. They will welcome him
 back.