The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-08-22
FEDERAL RAIL CONTROL.
NUMBER OF DEALERS IN MAN
KAT0 NOT FAVORABLE
oPINlONSAREExpRESSED
Experience Under Government
Management Criticised BY
Merchants

Anyone who desires to do SO is
given the opportunity to express
himself briefly in The Free Press
on the subject of Government
Ownership of Railroads." Il will
be physical impossibliity for the
reporters to call on all those who
may wish to give their views.
Competition is the life of trade
monopolies destroy competitive in
dustry and result in poor service to
the public. Summed up in brief the
opinions of Mankato businessmen
interviewed yesterday in regard to
government ownership of railroads
are found in those two sentences.
The experiences of Mankato merch-
ants with railroads under govern
ment ownership has been rather
exasperating, judging by some rath-
er strong condemnatory statements
made yesterday by those who have
looked long for delayed shipments,
and paid what they considered very
high rates. Professional men also
added their quota of disapprocval.
Judge w. F. Hughes: Consider
ing the experience the people of the
United States have had with govern
ment controlled railroads during the
past two years there should be no
lingering doubt in the mind of any
one as to what is best Tor the coun-
try We had quite an efficient rail-
road service at one time, but 1t now
seems to have gone to pieces. No
one pretends to say the service is as
good as ii was before the government
took control. There is only one
choice that ! can see and that is
private ownership"
Attorney j. w. Schmitt: The on
ly way to judge the future is by the
past. and judging by past experiences
government ownership of railroads is
failure. They should be controlled
by private ownership"
Attorney j. c. Noe: II am not IN
favor q government Ownership Of
railroads ! think Il is anything but
satisfactory believe we would
have much better railroad service
under railroads controlled b private
n[1Io4< 81
Wants Private ownor1hio
C, D. 0ft, real estate dealer. and
banker. As far as appears on the
surface it seems to me that private
ownership of railroads would result
in better to theS public 1t is a big
question and one that requires con-
siderable study, but one thing is
certain, government ownership cuts
out the competitive features, and
composition is one of the things that
makes our country progressive"
B. s. Boman of the Johnson Bo-
man Furniture company: Il de-
cidedly do not approve OF govern
meHt ownership of railroads. Private
ownership is much better, as 1t gives
the public better service. Competi-
ton Isl the life of trade, and it is best
for the public to have competition
inealb lines, as IT results in much
better service. 1t is the same in any
business. Give one monopoly and
the pubic suffers FOR II.
a., z. HedDerg, real estate dealer
and insurance man: think that
meet everyone has had enough OF
government ownership OF railroads.
lt has resulted IN very poor service.
O.
puohc much more consloeratlon' anu
would be better all around.
Competition Is Lie OF Trade.
u. b. Richards OF the J. b. and u.
Rlchards store: competition is the
LIE OF TRACE, ana there is no com
petitlon under government controi OF
railroads. we nave seen that unoer
government control the railroads do
not give US service. Under private
ownership there were the competl-
tive feature tnat would result IN pet
ter service 10 tne puDhc. II Is the
same way IN any business. Give one
concern the control OF any particular
line and competition is gone, with
the result that the pubic gets poor
service.
M. J. OBrien OF the value. Store:
private ownership or railroads
would result IN better serlce. we
have had no service TO speak OF under
government ownership. There was
no competition, no reason why they
should try to give us good service.
Under private ownership the agents
or the different roads worked for the
trade. and competed with each other
al u @-rs~ IS sn<N ITEx<l