The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-08-06
THE RAILWAY PROBLEM.


 sider the question of the future of American railway systems. One of the biggest prob- lens to be solved is contained in this question and it i~ not one to be decided in haste or without th0ro discussion.
 But congress is about to be stirred into action by the demands of organized labor for the absolute separation of private capital from the railroads of the country and that the latter be operated and managed by the government. These demands will at least have to be an- swercd and congress must do the answering.
 The demands of the unionistS amount to more than government control, and imply actual government ownership. "The separa- ton of private capital from the country's railroad is requested This means that they would have the government take over ap- proximately Slz,OOOOOO,OOO worth of prop crtv from its present oWners-lt IS naturally supposed Witht proper reimbursement-and make it public property.
 While the source from which the de- mands come makes them worthy of consldera- ton 1t by no means follows that 1t COmpels favorable response Organized labor is but q fraction of the American citizenship. It has its right to be heard equally with every other class, but if its views are in the minori- ty it must accede to the majority view. It is admitted on all sides that absolute govern ment ownership of the railroads is wanted by others than members of organized labor but it is doubtful if the adherents of such a system are sufficient to make a majority, and 1t would probably take a national referendum to determine the question.
 All indications, however, seem to point to unfavorabIe action on the labOrites' de- mand It must be remembered that the re- publican party, which controls both houses of congress, is the party of Big Business. Its leaders have openly declared against govern ment ownership and also against government control directly. It favors private ownership and private control under close government supervision thru such bodies as the Inter- state Commerce Commission.
 Senator Cummins, republican, who IS chairman of the senate committee in Inter- state Commerce, in a statement recently pub hShed in an Eastern magazine, deClared: Il believe that the railroads should be operated by private corporations rather than by the government
 'I advocate the operation of our rail ways thru private corporations under strictest control for one reason only. The govern ment cannot operate the railroads either eco- nomcally or efficiently. It is not possible at this time to examine the experience of other countries. 1 can only say that it is not reas- surfing, but if there be different minds about that 1 feel sure that the overwhelming ma jority of the people have reached the concu- sion that their government cannot take seVen- teen billions of railway property, rendering service which reaches every nook and corner of the land, employing two millions ot men or more, and directly affecting the fortunes of many other millions, and operate it without waste and tremendous extravaganza.
 It costs the government more to do any given thing i'll a country like ours, where every man is a sovereign, than it costs any body else to do the same thing. The history of every enterprise of business character conducted by the government proves that or ganized society in its management of indus trial affairs can neither practice economy nor attain efficiency"
 This is the stock argument put up by all opponents of government ownership of public utilities Undoubtedly there are grounds for it's indictment, but advocates ot public owner ship and management offer excellent logic to dispute the soundness of its reasoning.
 But whether government ownership be wide or not, organized labor has thrown down the gauge of battle. It demands action and some definite response must be made.
 The possibility of accommodating 5,OOO,-