Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14
Oonnerfas, IA. Sebruar 1918.
OR SOCIALISM!

Whether or not YOU like it, |
YOU only have to look about
YOU to see that the old order
of laissez-faire, the old order OF
unlimited competition, is pas
sing away in much of the busi-
ness world. The first decay, in
the United States, is going to
occur in the method of distribut-
ing the necessaries of life. In
every case the question is aris-
ing whether socialism or CO.
operation is going to supplant
the competitive agencies that
are displaced.
Take, for example, the rail
roads. Not until the necessi-
ties of war forced upon us the
obligation of examining the
processes of our business life
not until then did we realize
the enormous waste which the
competing railroads brought
about. There was no system by
which car shortages on one road
could be relieved by car sur
pluses an another. Each road
selfshly hugged its own supply
of equipment. To-day that has
been eliminated by pooling the
equipment of all the roads un-
der the authority of the Rail
road War Board, and moving
that common equipment where
II is most needed. The rail-
roads are gradually beginning
to eliminate the unnecessary
running of partly loaded cars
on competitive routes. They are
beginning to remedy the iniqul-
ty of an average car load OF
seventeen tons, while the aver
age car capacity is thirty-nine
tons. That is, under the pres
sure of war, we are allowing,
even forcing them, to cooperate:
We are allowing them TO find
the alternative to government
ownership, which is socialism.
The railroads are being given
the opportunity to take the
ground out from under the
advocates of government own
ership.
The farmers are tired OF
selling grain to rings OF
millers and commission men
who banded together and paid
them what they chose. They
are tired of selling their cattle
to associated packers, who re-
presented the entire buying
market and fixed the prices OF
live stock where they wanted
to have them. They are tired
of selling milk to few great
rich city distributors and taking
what those distributors are will
ing to pay after arranging for
a liberal return upon enormous
capitalizations. What is the
answer? Those who think ir
terms of socialism say that the
answer is the creation of a sy'
stem of state grain warehouses
state packing houses, state mill
receiving stations. There art
others who distrust ahy s!ucf
ponderous mechanism thrown
into politics, mechanism oper
ating without the incentive o
control of profits, a system o
distribution by political office
holders. Those who distrus
these things seek a solution II
cooperative organization of tn
farmers to operate grain elevat
ors and sell grain; to collect
handle and sell live stock; t
gather, prepare and ship to tn
CITY milk and other dairy pre-
ducts. In such organization
efficiency and progress could b
assured by control exercised b
those who would benefit tror
that efficiency and that pre-
gress. ..
The consumers in the citis
are tired of being fleeced by til
middlemen. They know VIII;
the producers OF foodstuffs an
fuel are getting. They kno
what they are paying. The
need only glimmering of con
mon sense to tell them thi
some one is robbing them. The
find the robbers in the hosts