Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-01-24

cussing Government Ownership OF
Railroads." As he had previously zone
during the congress he made an earnest
plea in approval of government oNhe. I.
ship and spoke for the especial oeheiit
Of some Great Falls railroad employees
who asked him to remain here anotner
day that he might talk to them. W.
Tttemore has been Il railroad man TOT
years himself, retiring some time ago
to return to the farm. He is considered
perhaps the best posted man on ran
road statistics in Wisconsin, his nome
state.
s.You have heard that the locomotive
was the harbinger. of civilization, sald
the speaker, .but | do not think it was
the civilizer most people think 1t was
nor the empire builder. / believe the
numbers of people who came over these
vast western plains i'll caravans years
and yearsfago were the empire builders,
as l stated to you before this week.
Land Grants Mistake.
Mr. Tittemore then said he has Of
ten thot perhaps it would have been lar
better II the American government IN
IT, zeal to expand transportation had
NOT granted them large grants Of land
rs rights of way and for development.
but rather. the people who did not en-
deavor to prevent it, especially the farm
ers who were not organized and didn' t
see what the future held as a result of
this mistake
Ihe railroad question: said Mr.. Tit
temore, is one of politics" He then
quoted snatches from that great Ameri-
can, Abraham Lincoln who once said
fhat labor was superior to capital. In
this critical reconstruction period.
stated the speaker, "let US go back and
drink from that fountain of truth
which sprang from him. Abe Lincoln"
Government Control.
f. Mr.. Tittemore then dwelt for short
time on the mails and telegraf system.
He stated that Us both are used for the
same purpose, the conveying of thot;
and as both were ptblic utilities. both
should be government owned
tie then again urged retention Of rail
roads by the government, pointing out
specific Instances thruout the country,
especially in Wisconsin whore Ne said
S4o,OooOe0 in waste railroad capital
was tied up uselessly because Of the
jealous competition existing between
the roads. HA>said enough economy and
efficiency could be applied il this one
state to pay six or seven per cent on
the investment. reduce the rates 80 per
cent and vet give better service.
He said the 2U,OOO00V ,OOO railroad
capital in this country is S10,NU,000.-
900 watered. lie referred to the splen-
men IN gain rightfU wages when they
demanded they receive a part of the wa
ter in that corporation, $2if 100000
worth
lie pointed out the difference in the
fine new S2U.0OO.DOo Northwestern ter
minal station in Chicago and the old
ram shackle union station. Both could
use the same terminal, said Tho speak
er and vet the Chicago Milwaukee 4 St
Paul directors will not use the North
western because they claim they are
rich enough to build their own. 'ANithn
a stones throw Of each other Think of
it. Millions wasted instead Of practicing
economy and giving just as efficient and
better service hy using ono terminal "
Mr. Tittemore pointed out that under
government ownership such thing
would not exist. He said that because Of
war conditions rates under the govern
ments control were boosted materially,
but the unnatural conditions were re-
sponsible for this and that these rates
can BIZ greatly reduced during the recon
struction period with the roads owning
them.
The speaker also referred to the Hill
system of gathering tribute from al
eastern railroads connecting with his
roads and running west from MinReap0-
lis. how some of them paid Hltl more
money to ride a few miles over his
tracks than they received from Mime
apolis to the eastern coast. IL told of