Evening journal., 1919-06-30
Government Participation:
Not Government Ownership
lFrom The National Republ'can).

To the extent TO which citizens OF a
free government are attached TO the
soil by the ownership OF land or OF
MONIES, their attachment to, the insti-
tutlons OF their country Will be deep
ly rooted IL is therefore the duty Of
The nation to encourage. actively,
nome ownership. The problems OF
housing and land ownership are vital
in their relationship to social safety.
Every slum district in which men and
women live and children are reared
in the midst OF unwholesome and un-
comfortable conditions is a challenge
not merely to sympathy, but TO pa
tr.Otsm. To level men up TO the
American standard OF living, not TO
level men down. is o service OF true
Americanism. Here is a field in
which private enterprise is not equal
to the occasion. Yet It is a field which
private enterprise should not be per-
mltted to abandon.
We have learned that governmental
effort to solve these problems, alone
results only in waste and eNtrava-
gance. yet is incapable Of more than
touching the edges of the field Or
ganization and The use Of capital on
larger scale than has yet been at
tempted. is essential Evidence OF the
realization OF the need is found in nu-
mer0us proposals for federal under
takings in the work OF procuring
homes for the homeless and land for
the landless. These have the funda-
mental defect OF being. under our form
Of government. political both 10 their
purpose and in their execution. Busi-
ness cannot be politically managed.
Politics. the highest form OF citizen
ship activity in its own sphere. when
introduced into business. becomes a
withering blight The story Of gov
ernment housing projects is one Of
humil atlng failure. They make Il ap-
parent that political management Of
business is a curse rather than q
blessing
In such undertakings. and in all
business enterprise 10 which il be-
comes Necessary for government 30
engage, The public should be a partner,
not a principal II should regulate,
and even control on occasion, but not
direct. The competitive system is
much bedamned by all socialists and
near socialists. but competition. So
cially as we'll as biolog.c1lly speak
ing. is essential 10 progress; without
it there will be stsgnat.on and then
reaction
The work OF providing land and
housing for every Industrious, we'll
disposed. frugal family in THIS repub
lie. should become the object Of pri-
vaie effort organized under govern
ment auspices and with government
encouragement. For these enterprises
government should provide. not the
billions necessary 10 carry them out,
but its moral backing, its guidance
and its participation.
Would there he serious difficulty in
securing subscriptions Of billions Of
dollars for national housing and land
development corporations comprising
groups Of local corporations, operating
under governmental charter, with the
government participating 10 the OK
tent OF subscribing small portion Of
the necessary capital. with representa-
tion on the governing boards OF these
corporations. safegusrded in their ar
ticles OF incorporation from purely
speculative use. but managed by prac-
ticsl business men for reasonable
profit somewhat above that yielded by
government bonds