New-York tribune., 1918-01-13
the Principle Of eDetenaon Be Applied Railroads After We
OwmpP

are based might be cited, and, indeed,
our recent experiments in the realms
Of shipping, munitions, food and war
supplies might we'll be mentioned in
proof of the soundness Of the posi-
ton taken. The sober fact is that
governmental methods in our democ-
racy, however we'll adapted they may
he for the primary purposes of gov
ernment-such as the protection of
life, property and civil rights-are
not adapted to the successful man.
agement Of Industrial or business un-
dertakings in which economic rather
than political principles must gov
ern.
The absence of self-interest as an
incentive to achievement, the lack of
any standards of efficiency or suffer
ing through failure to achieve them,
assured political interference, delay,
waste, vacillation and hamperlng
limitations which characterize all
government business activities would
work havoc in any governmental at
tempt to own and operate so vast a
business as transportation.
The assured attempts of Congress
to sit as the directing body Of such a
business could only spell disaster
through the seeking Of political ends,
sectional advantage, pork barrel
graft, without regard to public ser
vice or the ends of business. Eco
nomc iliteracy could work its direst
results, and personal ambition, un-
sound theories and popular clamo1
make football of the nations
fundamental business interest, 'the
one common interest Of our nationa,
life" as President Wilson has put it
Where the interference Of Con
gress was not positively harmful. il
would negatively destroy through
characteristic inertia and delay, OF
which we have seen so many illustra
tons in the past. Almost every gov
ornment undertaking Of a busines;
.haracter has been attended with
this record Of vacillating policy
patchwork planning, piecemeal con
struction, excessive cost and made
ouate and delayed support.
The vision Of the average Con
gresham does not extend beyond tn
next election, and political expedienc
is the controlling factor in his Con
gressional action. The success Of hi
party and the approval of his dis
trict arc his chief ends in life, and i
the complex machinery Of our trans
portatlon system we're increaslngl,
placed at his disposal, under govern
ment ownership, it's interests, too
would be measured by these same
standards.
How perfectly this fact is prover
by the record of our river and har
bor improvements need only be sug
gested.
Our whole record shows that III,
cost of government business is mucl
higher than that Of private work. Il
, public Offices clerical services COS
several times those of similar ser
: vices in private business. The cos
: of caring for public buildings
J twice or more as much as in tn
case of private buildings. Rate
Of wages are higher, hours of labo
shorter and the standards Q
efficiency lower These facts apple
to the railroad business would pre-
sent staggering aggregated II
| crease in labor costs which woul
| overwhelm the business interests {
the country and severely handica
our efforts to compete with Euror
in the period of expansion certain 1
follow the war.
| A Political
| Menace
| These assured increases in co
must be met either out of increase
| rates or through taxation. In eth,
| event there would be an undue bu
! den upon business.
The injection of an army of tv
million railroad workers into the D
litical arena would of itself bear S
| rious. fruitage. So serious indeed d
similar situation in New Zeala,
become that it was found necessar
by act of Parliament, to disfra
chise railroad workers in order
! remove their undue political inf
ence in their own interest at the e
pense Of the country. Such rea
tions, which would inevitably be pr
sented, would not be in the interes
| Of labor any more than they are
business. Indeed, the attitude
labor toward this question in tt
country has never been clearly 4
fined. Two recent expressions, ho
ever, may give line upon it.
w. G. Lee, president of the Brot