Bisbee daily review., 1918-12-01
HUGHES EXPOUNDS AGAINST PUBLIC
 OWNED UTILITIES
Says Government Enterprise Tends to lnefficiency; De- livers Diatribe Against Fur ther Extension
CBy Review Leased wire1

NEW YORK, Nov. 3O.-Charles E. Hughes, speaking tonight before the Institute of Arts and Sciences at Co- lumbia university, asserted that gov ernment enterprise tends constantly to inefficiency." He characterized as enemies of liberty" all those whose interest lie simply in extending the activities of government so as to em- brace industry"
 Discussing conditions following the war, he declared that readjustment should be brought about as soon as practicable and that war powers should not be used to control peace conditions. Such a control. he said would constitute a most serious of fense against American institutions.
 "The question of government own ership and operation. is. after all. severely practical one" said MT. Hughes. "Or course. there are those whose interests lie simply in extend ing the activities of government as to embrace all industries and who are endeavoring to proceed along what they conceive to be the line of least resistance in trying to keep in gov ernment hands in time of peace what has been taken temporarily by req son of the exigencies of war.
 "The instinct of the American peo- pie can be trusted to obtsruct the plans of these enemies of liberty, who. if given their way, would not stop short of a tyranny which whatever name it might bear. would leave It. tie room for preference. as compared to Prussianism.
 "I is regrettable. but it is true, that government enterprise tends constant ly to inefficiency. 1t cannot fail to be observed that vene in con nection with the war. despite the endeayor and patriotic impulses of countless workers, inefficiency in i'm portant fields of activity has been notorious.
 Along with this is the grave ques' ton of putting the direct operation of these great activities, unnecessar- ily under political control. That IS the most serious question. The dove tailings of government with business is apt to injure both"
 'It is probably true" he continued that whenever, during the war, eX- traordinarY powers were fittingly ex- ercised and government control was assumed for war purposes, the read justment to conditions of peace must be affected gradually and with the cirmumspection essential to the pro tection of all the public and private interests involved But the immedi- ate purpose should be to readjust as soon as may be. not use war powers to control peace conditions. A pro ceeding essentially vicious and con stituting the most serious Offense against our institutions
 MT. Hughes added, however, that undue centralizatiOn would be as dan gerous to national prosperity as over centralization. Congress. he said. should provide a sensible plan for railroad regulation. permitting sound credit and growth, establishing se- curities and insuring adequate serv- ice at reasonable rates. He also de clared cooperation in industry to De just as essential in peace time as during the exigencies .of war, and that big business was needed, II soundly organized and properly sup ervised. One great lesson to be de- rived from the war. he said, was the need for expert knowledge in su- pervising industry and commerce
 unrfnnG labor conditions were looming on the horizon and suggested that. in order to take up the labor slack, an effort should be made to start immediately all important public works through out the country. which has been held up during the war.