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

d suifcient length of time TO test it's
effects. The enactment of new rail.
road legislation in 1909, largely shap-
gu py congressman and senators of
very radical tendencies and bostile 70
the railroads and acauieseed in nv
PRESIDENT Taft with Ill-adyised and
opportunist complacency, established
TOT the first time in America pater-
hailstic control over the railroads II,
was an unscientific and iu-dav,saa
statute, gravely defective in import
ant respects and bearing evidence of
having been shaped in heat, hurry
ana anger. Mr.. Taft himself, it seems.
I mas since recognized its faultiness, for
ne has repeatedly and publicly pro-
tested against the over-regulation, the
starvation and the oppression of the
railroads which were the inevitable
and easy -to-be-foreseen consequences
of it's enactment
The states, to extent that they had
not already participated in it, were
not slow to follow the precedent set
by the federal government. The re-
sulting structure Of federal and state
laws under which the railroads We're
compelled to carry on their business.
was little short of a legislative mon
strosity
You all know the result The spirit
| OF enterprise in railroading was kill
ed, Subjected to an obsolete and in
congruous national policy, hampered,
confined, harassed by multifarlous,
minute, narrow and sometimes fatty
contradictory regulations and re-
strictions, state and federal, starved
as to rates in the face of steadily
mounting costs of labor and materials
that great industry began to fall
'away. Initiative on the part of those
in charge became chilled, the free flow
of investment capital was halted. ere
ative ability was stopped, growth was
stifled, credit was crippled.
The theory of government regula
ton and supervision was entirely
right. No fair-minded man would
quarrel with that. The railroads had
exercised great, and in certain re-
spects undoubtedly excessive power
for long time, and all power tends
to breed abuses and requires limita-
tons and restraints But the practi-
cal application of that theory was
wholly at fault and in defiance Of
both economic law and common sense.
1t was bound to lead to crisis.
| 1t is not the railroads that have
broken down, it is our railroad legis-
lation and commissions which have
broken down.
And now the government, in the
emergency of war, probably wisely
and, in view of the prevailing circum-
stances, necessarily, has assumed the
operation of the railroads
The director general of railroads,
rightly and courageously proceeded
! to do Immediately that which the
IdlTOduS lOl years ndu d5dA anu
again asked in vain to be permitted
to do--only more so.
Freight rates were raised rs per
cent, passenger rates in varying de-
grees up to so per cent. Many waste
full and needless practices heretofore
compulsorily imposed were done away
with.
Passenger train service, for the
abolition of some of which the rail-
roads had petltioned unsuccessfully
flor years. was cut to the extent Of an
aggregate train mileage of over A.
00O, 900.
The system of pooling for which
since years many of the railroads had
in vain endeavored to obtain lega
sanction was promptly adopted WITH
the natural result of greater simple
ity and directness Of service and OF
considerable savings.
The whole theory under which in
telhgent, effective and systematic CO.
operation between the different rail
ways had been made impossible for
merly, was thrown into the scral
heap.
incidentally, certain services AM
conveniences were abolished, of whic
the railroad arrangements would neve
Ihave sought to deprive the public
and the very suggestion Of the abro
cation Of which would have led
Indignant and quickly effective pro
test had it been attempted in tn
DAYS of private control.
Lest this remark might be misun
derstood, let me say that l have n
; word of criticism against Mr.. NC
Adoos administration Of the railroad
as far as I have been able to observ
it.
think, on the contrary, that ne
entitled to great praise and that n
Ihas handled the formidable and com
MEX task confided to him with mig
degree of ability, fine courage IN
dafa tieable energy, and with the evl
dent determination to keep the ron
5 ming of the railroads clear OF poiitiS
l. and to make them above all tmht
. effective instruments in our war e'
u