The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-10-01

sonal ends than they will for general
public ends. Men will take better
care of their own property than they
will of what belongs to the group as
a whole. A system in which each
man is made responsible for his W
welfare and the welfare of lis family
leads to far greater effort on the part
of men than any other system known.
Industries run by governments are in
general far more ~wastefully conduct
ed than are industries run by private
individuals whose profits depend on
the outcome of the operations. EX-
ceptions can be found among some
municipal enterprises, in which the
activity under observation is relative
ly simple and comprehensive, but
few exceptions can be found among
the enterprises conducted by great
governments. Whatever else we may
seek to do is improving the social or
der, we must not do anything which
will lessen the efficiency of produc-
ton. The fundamental fact in the
whole social problem is the fact that
we do not now produce enough.
This does not mean, however, that
all phases of private property and
all of the rights connected with phi
vate property should be regarded as
sacred and not subject to criticism.
Private property should be subject
always to public regulation and sub
ordinated to the public interest. In
a great city, a man should not be
allowed to put up a high building in
such a manner as to cut off light and
air from his neighbors. We do not
allow men to maintain public nui-
sances upon their private property.
In arid and semi-arid regions, the,
rights to streams flowing through d
piece of land are subject to the larg-
CT common. need. If private prop
erty is needed for public use, it may
be taken either by taxation or under
thesrules of eminent domain Again
how far is the unlimited right OF be-
quest Oh inheritance an essential part
of private property right? And
again, is it necessary in order for US
to get the best out of private pop
erty for social purposes that fortunes
should be allowed to grow t unlimit-
ed size? These are questions about
which we may well ponder.
with reference to competition,
the case is equally clear. The instinct
of rivalry is fundamental in human
nature, and the spur of competition
Is needed to make men do their best.
Competition is the protection of the
consumer against high prices which
accompany %eXorbitant profits. 1t is
the automatic force which reduces
the gains of the inefficient and makes
profits depend upon low rather than
on high prices. 1t evokes in indy
iduals the fundamental characters
tics of energy, thrift and power. 1t
harmonizes the interests Of thc i1di-
vidual and of society.
whether competition is whole
some or not depends upon the level
of competition. When unfair and un-
wholesome methods of competition
are introduced, the adulteratior Of
goods, the making of false represent
alton, local undertaking for he pun
pose of running Il local competition
ghese and othcr unfair methods can
and should be prevented. Trade ptac-
tees and public sentiment 90 far in
this matter. Wner3 necessary, the
law should step in. The game of bus
mess competition must be played
fairly. There must be no hitting be-
low the belt.
Gree enterprise, again, together
with competition and private proper
ty, is vital to economic progress. The
with ideas and initiative must
be given free scope to carry out his
plans. BY and large, free private en-
terprise is so enormously superior TO
ownership of indu stry, or :
industry under government, regula-
tions, that the man who has seen
both systems in operation intimately,
can have little doubt about the mat
ter.
Gree enterprise and competition
are highly undesirable under some
conditions. There is general agree
ment that unregulated competition
between two parallel lines of rail
roads may bankrupt one or both.
Competing telephone systems in a
given city are pernicious. There is
no room for competing street rail
way systems upon the city streets In
cases of this sort we relunctaftly
surrender competition, and we intro
duce government regulation. Unlc-
gulated monopoly, virtually all agree
Is intolerable. In cases where mon)-
poly is inevitable, we accept the facG.
We make the best of it by subject
ing it to governmental control. But
when we do this, the demand of the
Socialists for going further becomes
lnsistent and strong, because they
feel that the full realization of their
program is within sight. A powerful
political movement arises for govern
ment ownership of railroads, or tcle-
graphs, and the like, and it is not
certain that this movement an be
resisted. Even in the cases of regu-
lated monopoly, however, private is
DTpfeIa hla tn Oovernment OwneI.hini !