Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1901 — German Experiments. [ARTICLE]

German Experiments.

The two great commercial rivals ©f Europe exhibit a competitive test of two different policies. It will be interesting to see which proves the fittest to survive. England works on the principle of unrestricted private competition. Germany is moving steadily in the direction of government control. The Deutsche Tageszeitung of Berlin announces that the Prussian government has taken an important step toward the nationalization of the coal fields.

Germany has already advanced far on the road toward socialism. A very large part of the popultion is in direct public employ and another large part under public supervision. All the telegraphs, and practically all the railroads, are government agencies. The government iiisures lives and pays oldage pensions. It handles the express business and takes care of savings bank deposits. When we say "the government,’’ of course we mean public authorities of some sort, imperial, state or municipal. The government looks after tramps, sifts the unlucky from the shiftless and the vicious, enables the desrving to pull themselves out of their difficulties, and keeps the rest from becoming nuisances to honest people. Many municipalities own their street car lines, their gas and electric light plants, and their model tenement houss. They lend money on small prsonal belongings at low rates of interest, and give free concerts in 3 their parks.—Chicago American.