Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-03-20

! acteristic of the American people tos
learn quickly. One years experience
has sufficed to demonstrate to the PEG
pie at large that government owner
ship of railroads means deterioration
in service, higher cost and Iessenea
eagerness to please the shipper
Every right-thinking man must wish
TO see railroad labor, as indeed afE
labor, content and literally compeu-
stated. The just claims of labor are
the first charge upon any industry
They take precedence over the claims
Of capital and even those OF the con-
sumner in general. The wages have
been increased $500, 0OO,OO year.
In the first five months, to Decem-
Der /, 1918. the railroads moved not
very much more traffic than in the
corresponding period in 1917, when
under private management, but the,
operating expenses were greater by
more than $100,000,000 per month. or
at the rate of billion and a quarter
year.
In July the operating expenses took
500 of the gross receipts; in August
II Go; in September 1850; in Octo-
Der 1890, and in November $3.50.
For the same service the expenses
of the Pennsylvania railroad increased
$66 100000 during eleven months.
Mr.. Andrews gave some comparI-
sons with foreign roads, finding the
capitalization in this country to be-
$4,000 per mile. against $275,000 in
Great Britain, $153,00O in France and
$4,000 in Germany.
He thought the adding of 1000, 000
employees to political campaign
would be of much influence in cleo
tons. He did not believe government
ownership was wanted.
Mr.. Andrews offered the following
plan;
l. Let the government exercise
strong and comprehensive control, but
fair and constructive; not punitive or
stranglirg.
2. Let those features of operation
which, under government management
have proved advantageous and con-
venient to- the public, be preserved
and those features of legislation and
administration which experience has
shown to be unduly and unwisely ham
pering, be abolished.
8. Without eliminating state COM
missions let their functions be SO
adjusted as to avoid conflict with the
federal commission in matters of rate
making and security issues.
f. Let railroading then be thrown
open to private initiative and enter
prise, and competition in service:
make it an attractive field for capital.
and, above all, for men of ability and
vision.
Mr. Hood also took an adverse view
of governmental ownership, not only
drawing conclusions from the past
years experience, but that of Europe
where about fifty per cent of the
roads are owned by the state. He took
the experience of the Western Ry. in
France which has been owned by the
state for several years. The worst
year of the privately owned western
road showed an income OF $13, 10000
and at the end of the fourth year OF
state ownership the income was $5,-
100000 The history Of all the Europ-
can state owned roads! are much the
same, with the exception OF Germany,
where the roads were built very large
Iy for military purposes, and while
financially it was fairly good sue
cess. but not in it with the roads or
the United States. Quotation was;
made from French economist, who
showed that in anything but an auto
cratic government ownership OF great
business enterprise can be nothing
but a failure, and hopes that other
countries will profit by the bitter eX~
perience of the French, Before the
war the Belgium and Italian govern
r2ents, were making plans to get rid
of their state owned roads.
That there is some possibility Oh
municipal or government ownership
being a success was shown by the eX-
perience Of the city of Baratoo in the
purchase of the city water plant LOT
$1,000 in 1904, to be paid for III
twenty wears by issuing bonds. Dur
ing this period the physical condition
of the plant has been increased to
aboutS175, 600 out Of the earnings OF
the plant, besides meeting the bonds
as they became due. Among some
of the valuable improvements was
acquiring the Hull mill race rights al
$4,000: the hydro electric plant which I,
pumps the water in less than half the
time the old system, and draws cash
from the Wis HIT. 1T. & Power Co
between $500 and 5000 a month. The
speaker cited as one of the reasons for
this success was that it is handled by
a commission who draw no pay, but
work purely loyal purpose. The
superintendent and the men at the
pumping station, are paid regular
salaries. The city clerk and the city
treasurer handle the funds, etc.
The Discussion
In the discussion which followed
the opinion prevailed The government