The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-05

| point and guidance as to the best method of carrying them out.
 In many ways l like Wcsterners much better than Fasteners. They
 are more outspokon aud frank; and It doesn't take one a lifetime 10 know how one stands with them.
 Tho best solution for the rail- road problem from my viewpoint
 is government ownership. I be- liCve the government should con
 trol the railroads as 1t does the DostorT.ce-own them exclusive ly T. might mean heavy deficit for a while, but in the end it would work out all right. The efficiency of the pOstOffiCe has in creased year by year, and I think it IS possible for the operation of the railroads to work out in the same manner.
 Tn addition to owning the railroads I think the aim of the government should be to acquire control of all public utilities Anything that is so commonly used by the people as the railroads, telephone and telegraph, mower plants, street railways, etc, !
 Take 1t here in StocEbrtdge. The street railway system can never be a IpayIng proposition under private own ership When the fares go up to meet Ithe increase cost of oper ton the pat Ironage falls off and practically makes Ithe revenue of the system the same as before.
 And it holds true in all parts of the country.
 Inasmuch as the systems are being kept in operation for the convenience of the general public the general pub Ilic ought to own these utilities. The deficits, if there be any,, will naturally Icome out of their pockets in the end through taxes, but from the looks of things it would be better for them to lpay the taxes than to do without the railways.
 The trend of the public mind seems to be toward that end. so the quicker lit happens the better. And I am con vinced it would work out all right. I am sure there would be no more political conriviug in operating these utilities than there was before. The civil service laws could operate fin ruling the railroads as they have in having Jurisdiction over the em- iployes of the government in other | lines. And the cities could own and control their public utilities on the same principle.
 In many respects the old competi- 1 Ition that existed between the rail | roads was a good thing. We used to vie with each other in giving service | and in improving our lines. i Then too. there was a professional pride among the men of the road. They were jealous of their trains, and ! possible for men to be. We used to isend men over the various other roads | to pick up new ideas, a practice which T. suppose has long since been discon- Itinued.
 | But what the patronage of the roads | lose in this connection will be made 1 up. by the fact that they will consider
 the roads as belonging to them, and | will put up with conditions which | previously had put us in a bad light. i It seems to me that the old days have
 gone, never to return again. It seems
 rather strange to be out of things, and at times it seems rather lone Isome, too. However, curing my ca lreer made many friendships, and these friendships provide me with a great deal of comfort now.
 My last year in the railroad bus Iiness was very trying: and the doc tor says have not yet recovered from the strain.
 My career closed through what I considered a series of accidents, the most important of which was the death of J. r. Morgan. His son re- sembles him greatly in physical ap- lpearanCe, but has not had the old mans experience to put him on the same plane as Q financier However
 
 immense amount of money as the re- suit of the war.
 having represented the allies in the tremendous plans which this country turned over. must have added greatly
 to the Morgan fortune.
 1 The greatest railroad man I have ever had dealings with was E. H. Har-
 riman. His projects eventually car ried him into the grave, but his rise in the railroad world stands unparal- Ieled. He is one man who positively
 worked himself to death.
 James J. Hill was a marvel also. Ii seems incredible that a man should
 amass the fortune that he did outside of New York. He was a very odd character.
 He was probably the most prof. .cient liar I've ever met, but on tho
 showdown his word was as good as
 his bond. He did a great deal for the
 farmers of the Northwest. And il seems to me that he accomplished ar impossible feat when, by his own ef.
 forts he promoted a new road out o- the West which covered a continent His roads now, I understand art sinking below their old standard. bu then I suppose every road in tn, country is sinking under the present conditions
 What we have most to fear as re gards the European situation is Ger ' many. We will probably have an other war with her within 10 years ; land know a prominent military mar