The Delta independent., 1920-06-11

those which it possesses in time of |
peace. The normal limitations of |
times of peace restrict very much |
the powers of the general govern
ment and in helping to increase the
productivity of the farms, which |
must be done through government |
action, the Republican party prom
ises to use every power in this direc
ton, whether within the state or
federal Jurisdiction.
/ have touched upon this matter
of prices and the high cost of living |
because it is altogether the most i'm
portant domestic question now be-
fore the country, and one to which |
the Republican party should address |
itself without delay in every direc-
tion where help is possible. There |
are, OF course. as I have said, many |
other important, economic questions
to be dealt with, as speedily as may
be. but the time allotted to me makes |
it impossible to touch upon them
all.
There is. however, one measure |
which cannot be passed over, single |
great law which has been enacted
and which in any period would be
sufficient to distinguish a congress
as one of high accomplishment This
is the railroad act. For six months
able committees in both houses, COM
mfttees where no party line was
drawn, toiled day after day upon this
most intricate of problems There
was much serious debate in both
senate and house and then the bill.
signed by the president. became law.
No doubt time and experience will
show that improvements in the act
a remarkable piece of legislation
and in general principles is entirely
sound and nothing could be more
unfair than to criticise the present
owners contending with the legacy
of mismanagement. waste and con-
fusion bequeathed by the govern
ment when It returned the roads
only three months ago. The rail
road law possesses also an import
ance wholly distinct from its pro
visions. whihc have been framed with
extreme care. This act declares
national policy and. so far as any
law can do. it establishes that policy
as a rule of action The policy en-
bodied in the bill comedies at the
outset that it is of course impossible
to return TO the old system or lack
of system in the management of rail-
roads. They must henceforth be
under thorough government super
vision and also the government
must have over them large meas
ure of control. The transportation
system of the country can no longer
he suffered TO continue without such
supervision and control. But the
policy also represents the principle
that the government must not as
sumo the ownership of the railroads
Their operation and management
must be left in private ownership.
The phrase government ownership"
means not only that the government
is to be feared, that those who run
the railroads shall own the govern
ment. General government owner
ship under our political system would
inevitably bring about the mastery
of the government by those who
operate the machinery of transporta-
zion or of any other industries
which come into government posses
sion. The rights of the general pub
lie. for whom all industries exist
would disappear under this scheme
and nothing would be left TO the
people except the duty of paying
taxes to support the roads. This is a
very perilous position for represen-
tative democracy. Our government
must not be dominated by any one
man or any class or any selected
body of men who represent part
of the people and not the whole
States. government ownership where
ever applied to an industry. wheth-
er ii involves transportation or tel
egraphic and telephone communica-
ton or shipbuilding or manufactur-
ing. is very inefficient and wasteful
system. badly managed and certain
to be intolexably burdensome to the
taxpayers. This point it is not neces-
sary to argue because the country.
through the demands of war, turned
the railroads over to the government,
and we have had the painful privilege
OF observing the performance which
followed. The government manage
ment which ensued was Inefficient.
the railroads were wretchedly con-
Quoted and money was spent and
wasted with prodigaTity which
nothing can defend. During the time
in which the government undertook
TO manage the railroads they sus-