Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-13
GREAT BRITAIN EXPERIMENTS
I'M SOCIALISM

Socialstc experiments in Great
Britain have not met with success
that would inspire other nations
, to follow suit. Our socialistic
friends have little to say on
this subject. Likewise, those who
used to be continually pointing to
Germany as a model of how things
ought to be done. have been
expressively silent since the war.
The government in Germany, be-
fore the war, undertook to do most
everything for the people, or to tell
the people how things must be done.
This was not exactly socia!istic, but
was a very pronounced move in that
direction. 1t was paternalism, and
that leads to socialism, or worse.
Since the war, and presumably be-
cause of conditions arising from the
war, Great Britain has been trying
to take over as government activities
many enterprises previously left en-
tirely to private initiative and man
agement. And the results have been
anything but encouraging. Here are
some of the facts as set forth by
Herbert n. Casson, in an article
written for the Boston News Bureau,
the facts having been taken chiefly
from official reports:
Here in this report are the rec
ords of 1913 nationalized businesses;
and only one of them has been sue
cessful. 1t is record of almost
complete failure and insolvency,
from the first page to the last.
MANY monstrOus losses are now
admitted. On sugar, s130,000,000 has
disappeared. On the bread subsidy,
S750,000.000 vas paid to the bakers.
On timber, $32,o00,00o has vanished
in some mysterious way; and on zinc,
$s,000,000 has gone where the
woodbine twineth.'
Much of the capital lent by the
Treasury to these schemes was lent
at a low rate of interest. One enter
prise paid only one-half of 1GS at a
time when the government was pay
ing 5Oc. And another enterprise
paid no interest at all. 1t had free
capital and yet it failed.
1T is now known that the
craziest of schemes were started by
Lloyd George, in the joyful days
after the war, when he was hoping
to establish himself as a sort of
benevolent Kaiser. One morning
for instance, one of his advisers said
to him. We have hundreds of idle
ships. Why not go into the fishing
business and give the people cheap
food?' At once, 81 ships were put
into the fishing business, but appar-
emily they could never catch any
fish. The whole enterprise has now
been scrapped at a loss of S150,000.
Let us bore for OIL said anothe!
adviser. why do we let Rockefeller
and the Shell Company make SC
much money! No sooner said than
attempted-modest sum of $3,500,00(
was spent in boring for oil. Half 6
dozen farming communities were de-
moralized. The government claimed
loudly that 1t found oil. 1t did. Il
produced 126,250 gallons. to be exact
1t sold this Oil for s cents a gallon;
and the total cost of it was $25 q
gallon. Let us buy and sell her
rings. said another adviser. I'm.
fortunately, says the report. no soon
err had the government bought al
the herrihgs in Norway than the
price fell. Total loss-S6.00 700.
THE whole f1imsy structure of ma.
tionalization has fallen down. No
even the Labor party dare excuse
these failures. And the present gov.
eminent has definitely announced
that all it's socialistic experiments
will now be brought to an end az
soon as possible"