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

iFdlI6d}S VI
! The question of the disposition to
be made of the railroads after the
/ war Ii one of the most important and
far-reaching of the post -bellum ques-
tons which will confront US. 1t will
/ be one of the great test questions,
1.-THE answer to which will determine
whittier we are bound.
And, it seems to me, one of the du-
themselves accurately and Carefully
on this subject, so as to be ready to
take their due and legitimate part in
| shaping public opinion, and indeed to
opinion, one -sidedly informed and fed
of set purpose with adroitly colored
statements OF half truths, crystallizes
into definite judgment.
My concern is not for the stock and
bond holders. They will, | have no
doubt be properly and fairly taken
care of in case the government were
definitely to acquire the railroads. In
deed 1t may well be, that from the
standpoint of their selfish interests,
reasonable guarantee or other fixed
compensation by the government
would be preferable to the financial
risks and uncertainties under private
railroad operation in the new and un-
tried era which we shall enter after
the war / know, indeed, that not a
few large holders OF railroad securi-
ties take this view and therefore have
this preference
Nor do / speak as one who believes
that the railroad situation can be re-
stored just as it was before the war.
The function, responsibility and obli-
CATION Of the railroads as whole are
primarily to serve the interests and
economic requirements of the nation.
The disjointed operation of the rail-
roads, each one considering merely Its
own system land being under the law
practically prevented from doing 9TH
erwise) will. ] am sure, not be per-
mitted again.
| The REIMBURSEMENT of certain fea-
lures of our existing legislation, the
addition of others, a more clearly de-
fined and purposeful relationship of
the nation to the railroads, involving
amongst other things possibly some
! financial interest of the government in
the results of railroad operations, are
certain to come from our experiences
under government operation and from
fresh study of the subject, In case
the railroads, as I hope, are returned
to private management.
Personally believe that in its un-
derlying principle, the system gradu-
ally evolved in America but never as
yet given a fair chance for adequate
translation into practical execution,
is an almost ideal one. 1t preserves
for the country, in the conduct of It's
railroads, the inestimable advantage
of private initiative. efficiency, re-
sourcefulness and financial RESPONSE
bility while at the same time through
governmental regulation and supervi-
sion it emphasizes the semi public
character and duties of railroads, pro-
tects the community's rights and just
claims and guards against those evils
and excuses of unrestrained individ-
Iualism which experience has indicat-
ed,
1t is, | am profoundly convinced a
far better system than government
1 Ownership of railroads, which, wher-
ever tested, has proved its inferiority
except, to an extent, in the Germany
on which the Prussian junker planted
Ibis heel and of which he made a
scourge and horrible example to the
world; and the very reasons which
have made state railways measurably
successful i'm that Germany are the
reasons which would make govern
ment ownership and operation in Am
erica a menace to our free institu-
tons, detriment to our racial char
acteristics and grave economic dis
service.