Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-08
VIVA SHALL THE COUNTRY DO WITH THE RAILROADS?

whose labor would be fixed ultimately
by politicians. The party which con
trolled this vast body OF voters might
control elections. Government owner.
ship, urged by some in order to take
the railroads out of politics, would in
all probability put them more deeply
into politics than they have ever been,
This, at any rate, is Mr.. Dunn's
opinion.
Mr.. Dunn makes another point
which deserves serious consideration
He says that Government ownership
reverses the tendency to differentiate
political from economic functions
which has marked the progress of mod.
ern civilization and contributed largely
to it,"
Bunk exclaimed Doctor McFabre.
with more emphasis than elegance.
at may be bunk" I went on. But
you know hat feudalism was a COM
bination Of political and economic rule
and that the doctrine of idissc:-fdire
was enunciated as a protest against
meddling by government in the eco
nomic life of the people. That doc
trine was carried too far, but we find
It's most. ardent supporters in America
advocating government ownership of
railroads and teleeraplls and tele-
phones. We should not forget that
the great development of political free
dom accompanied the emancipation of
business from feudal control and the
freeing Of the hands of the industrial
forces in order that they might work
out their own salvation. Government
ownership would put into the hands Of
the political leaders the management
of elections on the one hand and the
control of industry on the other, as
Mr.. Dunn says. lie goes on: They
would then exercise a total power in
comparably greater than was ever ex.
ercised by any body of men in this
country. They would have the same
political power of the ordinary kind
that the leaders of the party dominant
in Government now have. The power
to determine what rates and prices
should be charged by concerns earning
billions Of dollars would be a great
power: and they would have it. The
power to make contracts for expendi-
lures amounting to billions annually
would he a great power: they
would have it. The power to determine
I whether millions Of men should be al.
lowed to keep their jobs would be a
great power; and they would have. it.
The power largely to determine how
millions of men would vote, and there.
by what men should hold public office,
would be a great power, and they
! would have it. And these would be
powers which. once acquired, might be
transferred from one group of political
leaders to another. but which could
never be dissolved into their elements
without a%bolishing government owner
ship Now, this strikes me as a pretty
serious arraignment Of the plan."
II admit I had not thought of it in
that light before said Doctor Nc
Fabre.
Wise government regulation is bet
ter than government ownership, in
the present state Of society," said l.
Government ownership is popular in
certain quarters because of disgust
with the abuse of private manage
ment. But government regulation has
cured most of those abuses. Now the
abuses of regulation need to be cured
The railroads after the war will not
go back to the old conditions. There
must be radical changes in the laws
Mr.. Dunn has some views about wha'
the changes should be. One does no
need to agree with his conclusions tc
find his book valuable. 1t is a timel,
discussion of a subject about which
the nation should be better informed.
GEORGE w. DOUGLAS.
REGULATION OF RAILWAYS. Including
a discussion of government ownership
versus government control. BY .SamuC
.. Dunn. New York: D.. Appleton 4
60. $40,