People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1894 — Government Ownership. [ARTICLE]

Government Ownership.

Mr. Editor: In reading your paper, as well as other reform papers, a question has been brought to my mind, and after giving it considerable thought and study, I cannot but help believe that it is right and I herewith hand you my views on the subject. The subject that I refer to is the government ownerof railroads and telegraph lines in this country. You can go into any of the departments of our government and such a thing as a strike ; s never heard of among the employes, why even take it among the soldiers of Our regular army. They duly receive the small sum of sl3 per month for their labor. D’d you ever hear of such a thing as a strike among them? No. Did you ever hear of a Strike ih the post office department 1 ? No. Let us look into the government pi 7“ ing office. Did yoq gyer near °f otrike there? No. It would be the same condition of affak too, if the government owned the railroads &hd telegraph lines. A great cry goes up by those opposed Vo this* that Would create a hungry horde or greedy office seekers, wanting the places that are necessary to conduct the business ip. a successful manner. It would 'hot take a single man more to conduct the business than is already employed. In the first place it would only create a new cabinet office, with a salary of no more than SB,OOO, which is on an equality with the other cabinet offices; There arc numerous presidents of railroad corporations, today-, that are drawing as large a salary as the President of these United. States, While some are oveti drawing more than that. When it comes down to the employes necessary in the conducting of the business of the rdilbdadt; you will find that there are today numerous applicants for the various positions that are to be filled. This is necessary. Take for instance our local post-office. When that place was to be declared vacant by the. incoming of a new president, how many applications were the for the place? Less mail.nail a dozen. This simply shows that there is no argument about the overflow of office-seek-ers.

Another great thing in connection with this, is that it would soon bring about a reduction in the prices for shipments in freight as well sis a reduction in fare in passeiiger traffic. It has done it in the post office department and it stands to reason tliat it could be done in that as well. You can send a postal card from Boston to San Francisco for one cent. If you wanted to send a message of ten words over the telegraph lines from Boston to San Francisco, what would be the cost? The question will answer itself. You will say, how can the government buy up these corporations? That is a very simple question. In the dark days of ’6l to ’65, our government saw that it would require a vast amount of finance in order to conduct the business of the nation successfully. Our soldiers must be paid, they must be clothed and fed. How was this all brought about? Very simple, indeed. The government issued redeemable bonds and currency in sufficient quantities to meet all their wants. Could not this be done in purchasing the raill’oads and telegraph lines in this country? We will let you answer the question. A Reader.