The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-11-28
HOW GOVERNMENT
CONTROL AFFECTS
OUR DEVELOPMENT
southern Land Congress Plans For
continuance OF Work Stopped BY
redcral Control-Presldent War
heid Points Out Danger In
Present Tendencies

II was clearly demonstrated that the
great land associations which are seek.
ihs southern development, and, now, Il
piace 10 locate many of the returning
american soldiers, must have adequate
support If they are to continue their
important constructive work.
Ihe congress, which was held under
the auspices Of four OF the largest land
associations in the South, all Of which
| were established by the Southern Set.
tiement and Development Organiza-
'lon, represented membership of
hore than 5000, including leading
farmers in every Southern state, and
over 26,000,000 acres Of land.
Formerly, this organization, Of
winch S. Davies Warfield Of Baltimore,
Nd, is president, and which has done
much toward Southern agricultural de-
! Velopment, was supported largely by
T, railroads operating in the South.
Declined to Help
Since government control ,of the
railroads these contributions have
been withheld; and, in striking state
ment to the land congress, President
Warfield said that Notwithstanding the
appeal made in a petition by 27 South.
ern senator's from Is states, that the
national railroad administration con.
tlnue these contributions to the or
ganiZaton, the director general de-
cARed on the ground that contribu.
tlons should not be made to a "pri.
Vate organization not under govern
ment control"
This position was taken no+,v;,,
standing Maryland had granted It q
charter, and given it $4,000 from the
state treasury, thus attesting its pub
lie character.
1T is indeed unfortunate" Mr. War.
field said, when an agency like this
organized not for gain but for The
general good, and which Is admitted
by the administration to be "a highly
mer1torfous one must be discontinued
on mere pretense in order that auto
cratic methods may be firmly entrench
ed. If these organizations are to ac
complish their constructive aims in the
development Of the South and it's mil.
| lions OF acres Of productive land The
restoration of sanely regulated private
| management Of the railroads is essen
tial."
Mr.. Warfeld said support had thus
! been withdrawn by the railroad ad
m1n1stration from an agency which had
| done and could do more than any other
In assisting in providing those very
| products needed for the winning Of the
| war.
Shall Autocracy Continue2
| 1T may be natural" he said chat
those In power should wish TO perpet-
uate their great powers, but recently
| granted 10 them, or as many OF them
as they can hold. But such an au-
| tocracy as congress was compelled. un-
der conditions of war, to temporarily
set up 1T may be safely assumed, WAS
intended for the purpose of winning
| the war only. And we must take care
| lest we now create in this country the
very conditions which the life's blood
| OF millions OF men has been shed to
destroy in other countries!"
| Asserting that for this very reason
! questions arising from the two schools
OF thought - private or government
ownership of utilities will likely be
| made political issues, and very soon
occupy the attention Of the two great
| political parties, Mr.. Warfeld declared
that tho people OF tho country must
decide upon one Of two courses: First
government ownership, under which
the railroads Will saek TO get all they
can for their holdings, and without
regard TO whether such ownership is
to tho advantage Of tho people: and.
second, restored and properly regulated
private management which will assure
! to them better service and the benefits
OF individual initiative.
My own Judgment IT," Nj War
field said, that only through compre
hensive plans Of control and regula
t1on under private management and
initiative, can tho best rasults bo OBJ.
tanned from any of the great indus.
tries OF the country"
Shippers And Land Ownors
Conoerning the vital interests of the
shippers and the land owners. in these
problems, Mr. Waraeld said:
The shippers and land owpars or
the country are as much concerned in
the questions at issue - whether the
railroads are owned and operated by
the government or under private own.
ership and oporati0a-as any interest
Involved. The securities Of their own
companies, II they are corporations.
are affected; and II they arc not
i corporations, their businoss il anected
by the sympathetic effect Of any action
that adversely affects the billions OF
railroad securities outstanding. More
over, the success Of the shipper and
land owner is directly dependent upon
adequate and proper railroad develop
ment and sorvioe"
! "lf there is people to whom The
very idea of such system of pator.
nalism--go government ownership and all
that 1T 1nvolves--nust be repugnant. it
Is those OF US who live in the South"
| 1t was determined by the Congress
that the four land associations Shall
take over the Southern Settlement and