The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-12-12

BOaru, view ioih, oSeopeE AVJ-
Paternalistic control, even when
entirely benevolent in intent, is gen.
orally harmful in effect. 1t is apt TO
be doubly so when, as sometimes oc-
ours. it is punitive in intent.
The history Of our railroads in tine
last ten years is a case in point.
In their early youth our railroads
were allowed to grow up like spoiled
wilful, untamed children. They were
given pretty nearly everything they
asked for and what they were not
given freely they were apt to get
somehow anyhow. They fought
amongst themselves and in doing so
were liable to do harm to persons and
objects in the neighborhood. They
were overbearing and inconsiderate
and did not show proper respect to
their parent, l. e., the people
But the fond parent. seeing how
strong and sturdy they were and on
the whole, how hustling and effective
in their work, and how, with all their
faults Of temper and demeanor, they
made themselves so useful around the
house that he could not really get
along without them, only smiled COM
piacently at their occasional mischief
or looked the other way. Moreover
he was really too busy with other
matters to give proper attention to
their education and upbringing.
AS the railroads grew towards
mans estate and married and begot
other railroads, they gradually slough
ed off the roughness and objection
able ways of their early youth, and
though they did not sprout wings
and though once in a while they did
shock the community, they We're
amazingly capable at their work and
really rendered service Of inestimabe
value.
But meanwhile, for various reasons
and owing to sundry influences, the
father had grown testy and rather
sour on them. He cut their allow
ance, he restrained them in various
ways, some wise, some less so, he
changed his will in their disfavor, he
showed marked preference to other
children of his. And one fine day,
partly because he was annoyed at the
discovery of some Wrongdoing in
which, despite his repeated warnings,
a few of the railroads had INDUCED
Though the overwhelming majority
were blameless) and partly at the
prompting of plausible self-seekers or
we'll meaning specialists in the i'm
provement of everybody and every
thing-one fine day he lost his tenn
per and with 1t his sense of proper
ton. He struck blindly at the rail-
roads, he appointed guardians Called
commissioner to whom they would
have to report daily, who would pre-
scribe certain rigid rules of conduct
for them, who would henceforth de-
termine their allowance and super
wise their method of spending 1t, etc.
And these commissions, naturally
Wishing to act in the spirit Of the par
ent who had designated them, but
actually being, as guardians are la
BILE to be, more harsh and severe and
unrelenting than he would have been
or really meant to be, put the rail-
roads on a starvation diet and other
wise so exercised their functions,
with good intent, doubtless, in most
cases, that after a while those rail-
roads. formerly so vigorous and cap
able. became quite emaclated and sew
eral of them succumbed under the
strain of the regime imposed upon
them. And then, seeing their condl-
ton and having need, owing to spe-
cial emergencies, Of railroad services
which required great physical strength
and endurance, one fine morning the
parent determined upon the drastic
step of taking things into ms oWr
hands. And so forth.
To drop the style of storytelling
Individual enterprise has given u'
what is admittedly the most efficien
railroad system in the world. 1t mas
done so whilst making our average
capitalization per mile of road less
the scale Of wages higher the average
rates lower, the service and conVen
fences offered to the shipper ana I'M
traveller greater than in any other 0
the principal countries.
1t must be admitted that in the plo
neer period of railroad development
and for some years thereafter, mum
erous things were done, and althoug'
generally known to be done were tol
Grated by the government and IN
public, which should never have pee
permitted. But during the second al
mlnistration and upon the courageou
initiative of President Roosevelt tines
evils and abuses were resolutely at
tackled and definite and efectlV
stop put to most Of them. Mean
were provided by salutary Legislation
fortified by decisions of the suprem
court, for adequate supervision an
regulation of railroads.
The railroads promptly fell IN iii
with the countrywide summons tor
more exacting standard of bushes