Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-12-05
4 HAPPY SOLUTION.

President Wilson has evinced wisdom of a superior order
upon various occasions during his occupancy of the White
House.
His suggestion that the railroads be turned over to their
craftsmanship under such federal restrictions as will assure
thepnblic a square deal is the offering of a happy solution of
the problem for the time being.
Mr.. Wilson is ENTHUSIASTICALLY right-in his contention
that it would be an inexcusable error to return the properties
to the old order Of things. Thoughtful men everywhere, who
are not imbued with the spirit of party to the exclusion of
public interests, agree that the old conditions would be IN
tolerable.
II the republican party wishes to retain that confidence
which it won at the recent election it will have to disregard
such advice as men of the Penrose type offer. Penrose is an
ultra reactionary who would go back to the old order which
ante-dates the war.
That the country is tending toward governmental owner
ship Of public utilities seems obvious. Municipalities here and
there throughout the land are assuming the ownership and
operation Of electric light plants and water works. If sue
cesstully managed, the result can but foster the development of
state owenrship with reference to the things that the state can
likewise toward governmental ownership, not only
Of public utilities, such as the railroads and the telegraph lines,
but also of the coal mines and the oil fields as a means Of evad
ing private monopolies.
Takethe coal situation as it has existed since Dr. Garfield
was placed in charge. Whatever the theory may be with re-
Ispect to federal control, the fact remains that instead Of CON
trolling the coal barons the latter virtually have controlled the
fuel administration. In other words, the only effect of federal
control has been in the direction Of equalizing the fuel burden
and to afford a measure Of reason iii the distribution thereof
To.all intents and purposes, there has been 4 fuel monopoly III
America as rigid and as constituencies as existed before the
war.
Mr.. Wilson IS 4 shrewd s%.sounder', of public sentiment.
Even the distinguished Mr.. Roosevelt is a novice in this art
compared with Mr.. Wilson, we venture to suggest.
Thetime is not propitious-not "ripe''-for full govern
n1e1t ownership, II would seem. The public has not been suf-
feiently educated, if, indeed, it is ever to become educated to
the point Of acceptance Of the principle Of ownership il its
entirety.
The war has been d great educator along this line. The
allies would never have won had the governments not assumed
controlo of the means Of transportation America would havee cut
a very sorry spectacle in its preparations FOR war had the
government permitted The lines Of Transportation on both land
and sea to- remain ii private hands.
@ So xIiln Hin nr,ncf;nn SafA ..sl.n ~ .4,I d.
Inooted one, there appears to be general agreement with Mr.
Wilson III fn conclusion that return to theaola order Of things
would constitute what amounts to " crime against the public.
Mr. Wilson has cut q very large slice ofsthe ground from
nnaarthe republican Ilanags Isi ii lbs suggested solution Of tic
Elrairoad problem.
Tie party or the congress which stands for the odsorder
Thereby invites g defeat amounting 10 u ropt at the next gen
eral election.