The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1919-01-31
For Tax Assessor.
The Railroads.

1ne hdllTOduS.
A statement on the first page of
the paper shows that the Government
operation of railroads last year cost
the people of the United States little
less than a billion dollars. This in
cludes improvements of $5SS,OO0,-
600. The deficit was $196,0O0, 900.
1t is stated that the traffic will be
reduced this year. The present wage
scale was in effect last year only part
- of year. So, if the Government suf-
fered a net loss of $196,000,000 in
earnings last year, what will it be
this year with a reduction of traffic
and larger pay roll?
Now they are sending people thru
the country as propagandists to boost
Government ownership. The rail-
roads this year with improvements
and all will cost the people over a
billion, and what for? We are pay
ing now greater freight rate by
twenty-five per cent than we ever
paid. We are paying nearly double
the passenger rate, What are the
people to get for this tax of one bill
lion or more dollars every year?
We are told that the trackage is
to be reduced 1t is presumed that
there will be more double trackage
of the lines which are to be used.
Therefore a loss of the trackage that
will be abandoned and an immense
cost of double the remainder of
trackage. There are so many bright
eyes who are going to do so many
wonderful things for the people, and
now they are going to perfect rail-
road system-these wise guys. There
never was a system of railroads in
the world as near the point of per-
lection as ours before U. S. Govern
ment operation. Now, they cost
us more, nearly double in pas
senger rates and freight rates in
creased one-fourth, besides the tax of
a billion. And this is what the
propagandists are trying to teach us
is great thing for the people.
What are the people to get in
benefits from the reduction of track
age? What do they get every time
the Government makes move to do
something fer the people in the way
of extension of public utilities.
What does the U. S. Post Office De-
partment cost the Government every
year? The executive departments will
not tell you. You can't get state
ment. Oh, yes you can, they say.
You can, but it is not complete. They
tell you what the current expenses
of operation is. They do not add the
cost of government post office build
ings and a thousand other things.
The appropriation Of the Post Office
Department every two years is $780,
100000 and yet this does not in
clude the public buildings.
What has been the history of the
Post Office Department besides it's fl
nancial status. Grover Cleveland
started to cover it with Civil Service.
He got as far as the secondclass
postmaster. God knows, Grover
Cleveland was no socialist. But they
wanted the post master to handle
the political wires of his particular
bailiwick. And he has been draw
ing two thousand dollars a year and
up for doing little else than looking
after the party politics of his section.
Now we are glad to say that the
postmaster has been, or there is
move to place him under the civil
service-all of them up to the first
class postmaster.
But were the people asked whether
or not they wanted a servant to car
ry the mail right up to their resi-
dence doors. We're they consulted
about the rural carrier system or
the parcel post. Would they want
these things continued if they knew
how much they cost.
No, some scheming politician there
is who is moved to do something big
for the people without letting them
know anything about it. Oh, how
he loves the people.
The cost of government is getting
to be something fearful, and the
politician wants to increase the cost.
You cannot get a statement of what
President draws for the upkeep
of the family and White House. You
cannot get statement of what your
Congressman draws in salary, mile
age, committee work, clerk hire, etc.