The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-27

t42 1RS&s
about which / ana not sure. Tit ma
Sonaltxation Of industries
10 the life of the community happens
- be one OF them. ! feel there n
much to be said for and against It.
Though on this point l find myself In
disagreement both with Its advocates
and It's opponents. !
DO we want railways. shipping.
eoal, Agriculture, and all the rest OF
them handed over to the control 81
u bureaucracy /.
understand BY bureaucracy a
: number OF strong men tfrom the
Greek word meaning "~strength")
working together in an ONCE. ! have
no objection To things being managed
ty strong men working In An once. |
STAFF FEEBLE AND STUPID.
Just now, British government
bureaus are stated with feeble and
stupid officials who do not even try.
That can be altered. There was a
time when English justice was sus-
pect. when English judges, from h
highest to the lowest, could be brined:
when English Justice was for sale
scross the bench. The thing to do
and that was done, slowiy--yas not
to denounce the Law but to reform
.he judges
Today English justice is above suA-
picion. For a decent wage English
l.sh judges. who IN many cases could
he earning larger incomes by remain-
ing barrfsters. acauit themselves al
self respecting,o honorable gentlemen.
We have ceased even to wonder At it
Government Oficiai" is not of In
herent necessity a title OF repfoach.
II has come to imply muddleheAded
incompetence. just as in America
Tamrnary Hall has come to stand for
political roguery. Drive out the
thieves and hucksters from TanmAny
Hall. disinfect II from cellar 20 rAfters
-ard-rf~c-f.-tw~-c~rttngs of white
wAsh; and Il could just as easily be-
come the synonym for seagrecn in
corfu ptibility.
PTRGFsD OF SF1F-SEEK EffS-
The Church OF England Ia a branch
Of the Civil Service The Rishop OF
London is a government official Ono
may disagree with his Riilitlrtsm. but
his responsibility Is outside OF dts
cushion. In the past this was not AL
ways so. There was a time when the
great Church dirnitaries were shame
less self seekers: the humber clergy
the fawnfng and compliment lackcys
Of their patrons
Today not even Christie nifty itself
rs allowed TO Interfere with the de-
votion OF the Church to the interests
OF the state In Great Britain. for er-
ample. May there not be hope even
tor bureaucracy
The idea calls for obust faith, I,
admit. The telephone as IN arEu-
-nent against naturalization
PHONE SERVICE A DISGRACE
grant IL Is a sound Indictment. ~
far as it goes. The British telephone
service is a Disgrace. But arc we 80
sure thai a t"l phone trust would
have gwen II Better and a cheaper
service Does cvr experience OF the
rrotteering c as, prove To US that the
public is always better served by
private A~nterDriae2
On the otnnr hand. the postofice
does work we'll. Would The oppon-
ems of ationalization argue that the
lustofiiGe should be scra and tho
postal service entrusted tas In the
Gays Of the Gcorgesj 10 private en-,
t@rpsfse. 4
During the war railway manage
rnent by government officials went
from bad to worse. In France ire
state railways lag far behind the
privately owned lines, But, as against
this. one mast remember that tho
German staEs railways were I'd
rairably adapted to the seryive OF the
public and made a profit 10. the gov
eminent
MUNITIONS FACTORIES FL TIL
GENT.
Great FritaIn's pre-war expert
ments in Socialism were a bad adj
sertiser1ent for naticaaiism- But
hey were conducted by men soaked
In prejudice aga ast the system. un-
trained. and generally incapable.
Where officialdom was compelled To
put its heart into the business, as IN
he case Of the muaition factories
state control succeeded.
Both the srrny and navy may have
made its bin But would cp-
ponents of naturalization suggest
hat the war wou'1 have BEEN bet
ter conducted II IL had been Tut out
on contract
ALL NECESSITIES VITA.
The answer might he that the army
ana navy are too vital to q nations
existence for anybody but the state
To he allowed responsibility. But
are mol, all necessities OF life vital
needs To the nation2
A months interruption OF the
British transport system would bring
about more deaths than have these
last five years of war.
The British government recognized
tits and organized the motor "ioriT
service II naturalization OF IA mo
ur-lorrv service for temporary use In
20 bo applauacd. why should the AK
'ng over of the railways as a gong
concern he fraught with DISASTER
II Nationalist ton is good enough
~ cops with the exec ptional lin
-uiues # an emergency, Why should
he jncapabie Of continuing an old
%ESAh '+@S
ssm?
Are tho opponents Of nationa TIA
ticn prepared to advocate the abnli-
tion of state-provided schools. leaving
private enterorise to so}se the prcb-
en- of national education? And II
TOT why mott
We are told that the predatory in
stincts of humanity bar All idea OF
service 20 the state being undertaken
tor any other motive than that OF
greed that no one will serve the state
except with The hope and Intention OF
proving upon the community.
TEACHERS A SHINING EXAMPLE.
The teaching profession is the
worst, paid branch OF the civil service
e'or A wage that is "A disgrace to the
Sritish nation in army OF hignfy
trained and educated men and wo-
men OF exceptional ability f"Govern-
nient ofF1cialS'g give devoted and m
selfsh service tn the State. Thry
P'uoid regard a fair and honest re-
enumeration as The goal OF their arnh'-