The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-02-09
barometer of Public Opinion


In spite OF its demonstrated failure. large
number Of people In this country Btl believe
that there would bo 10 faircr distribution OF
wealth, with more spending money for those
who do not seem able to accumulate II in me
ways hitherto accepted, II what they call the
means ~ production were nauonalHcd sup
pusc we consider The result, In the light ot the
naturalization of railronds through the war.
such naturalization would IN the ma
turo Of things be experimental Progress
Itself iE dcccpuyey experimental But II
is something moro. The great construc-
James a. nm. does not pretend 10 evolve some
thing out OF nothing. He works with tho tools
ana materials AT hand. Presently he, with many
o'hora Nko Nun, cooperating yer prcaer sinE ~
thoir Independence. creates machine which
serves its dcslgncrs purpose. u becomes pro.
duccr Ukc, Tor instance tho steel INDUSTRY. IL
ls always open 30 expert criticism on any OF its
many Sides. u Is amended, piece by piece in
such way as to keep the machine working
while revision Coos forward.
But the anarchist, cv0n when he does no,
know he is an anarchist believes In tho total
scuppuR ~ the machine before he has n new
ono ready IN New YORK city, for instance, he
thinks that better traction service can be se-
cured by Tho ruin Of tho traction companies
preparatory to the iustallment Of municpal
machine not merely untricd, but unconstructcd
existing In fact only iu the minds Of Missionaries
with no technical knowledge,
lri us suppose the great steel Industry taken
over rs the railroads were taken over. Rcmem-
hcr mat tho railroads have a monopoly In
th" respect that they have an the American
business there h. But the steel industry not
only abroad but az home, s open to the com
petition OF tho whole world. We saw many
years ~ the railroad growth before We ceased
10 usa British rails. let Us suppose. however
than an ineSpert government department takes
over this Industry, that ~ goes on makinr
losses, raising wages, restricting prices, until
finally the deficit is too heavy for the taxpayer
ana the steel companies are returned to theii
original owners.
What would this enormous part OF the wealth
or tho country be worth II they returned
on the conditions proposed for the return OF III,
railroads? Woud the United states Steel cor
poration and the Bethlehem steel company h,
required 10 devote everything above per cen
ON their common stocks TO n subsidy for every
Improbable village smithy in tho country
Would the conduct Of their affairs, especially II
making prices In "A world market, be entruste,
to the same interstate commerce commission
or federal trade board which had alread!
brought the entire industry to the verge o
bankruptcy? Would their wage scales b
placed In the hands Of a newly created board
designedy ignorant OF the prices paid for thei
raw material or charged for the finished prod
uct?
This Is something more than n mere ny
pothcsb Small wonder that the British labo
unions, which were in favor of naturalization
OF coal and the railways, are beginning to realiz
mat IL might easily mean the destruction o
their means of support.--Wail Street Journal.