The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1919-08-16
STRIKES THREATENING
pUsiNEss MEN OF NATION FAVOR
PRIVATE owMGRsHip OF RAILS.
cLsaks AND FREIGHT HAND
LERs ISSUE DgnANoo ron
hiohGR WAogA


washington, AUG. G-Ths railroad
prsbasn - engfesGing TIE attention Of
bsth ths exscutivs and lsGtslativs
branches d the govesumsat
Meanwhile threats q huudrsds Of
Thousands Of railrsad snployts 10 -
on strike to force higher Wages 10
meet the high cost q living were ~
ltesated.
Demands also are being made BY
10000 clerks, freight handlers and
station employts.
Business men Of he country, - rep
resented In the Chamber Of Commeres
Of the United States. favor private
ownership Of the railroads.
Based on q referendum Of the
chambers $4,000 member. this an
nouncement was made following pub
lication Of the demands Of organized
labor for elimination Of private capital
from railroad ownership and opera
ton.
Announcement Of ths vote Of 90 per
cent Of the business men against gov
srnmsat ownseship was accompanied
By the following explanation Of the
reasons actuatins The decision:
II. Under government ownership
the development Of railroad facilities
would depend upon congressional APP
propriations and would prevent the
anticipation Of the transportation
needs Of the country. Appropriations
would mot be made In the amount and
at the time needed to insure adequate
Development of the railroad. Political
considerations might also control the
amount Of appropriations and the OBJ
3sets for which they were made.
y. To acquire the railroads the
ssvsrnmsnt would have to pledge its
credit for eighteen to twenty billions
Of dollars at q time when other large
Transferring must be done. It would
b difficult for the government to dis
pose Of the securities required to pur-
chase the railroads, and It would be
necessary for the government to se-
cure from five hundred million to one
bllliou dollars Of new capital each
year.
IF the government were to assume
the burden Of financing the railroads
at the present time when the war debt
b 10 large, Its interest rate would
necessarily bs - high Is, II not higher
than, the rate at which corporations
could secure capital.
"a. Government operation - sell
dom. II ever. ~ efficient a. corporate
management. Competition, the incen-
tive to efficiency and progress In pri-
,vats enterprises, y absent from the
government administration Of affAirs.
Individual Initiative II less, bureau
cratic methods are moro character
istic, and the services rendered are
less progressively efficient.
r.. While the government would
presumably select officers and en-
ploy6s by means Of efficiency tests,
political influences would almost Ger
tainly be given weight In selecting
men for official positions.
Is. Unless the government adopted
the policy Of fixing low rates and
fares with the intention that any re-
sulting deficit from operations should
b. placed a. an increased burden Of
taxes upon the general public. rates
and fares would be higher under gov.
eminent than under private operation.
Under government operation sxpsnses
rise in relation to income and tie
charges imposed by the government.
II q deficit Il to be avoided, must b
higher than those which 1t would BE-
necessary to permit railroad corpora
lions to make.
"a The political effect Of govern
ment ownership and operation Of rail-
roads In the United States might DO
serious. There are now about 1000
civil employees Of the government. The
addition to the public services OF
100000 railroad employees, the major
iity Of whom are voters. would consti.
tuts force Of about 2,600.0 600 govern
ment employts interested In, control-
ling the policy Of the governmsnt a.
regards waees, hours and condition Of
service. Such a body OF employees
might easily exercise a controlling In
fluencs upon state and national poll
tics."
To crsats New Ministry.
Berlin.-The Peidll cabinet Of Hun.