eat stress upon this phase of the
question and argues that as a result the service would be
far less satisfactory.

"There may be force in this objection, but the evidence
points to an opposite conclusion. When the nation owns the
railways trains will run into union depots, the equipment
will become uniform and of the best character, and so
sufficient that the traffic in no part of the country would
have to wait while the worthless locomotives of some
bankrupt corporation were being patched up, nor would there
be the present difficulties in obtaining freight cars
growing out of the poverty of corporations which have been
plundered by the manipulators, and improvements would not be
hindered by the diverse ideas of the managers of various
lines in relation to the adoption of devices intended to
render life more secure or to add to the public
convenience.... Existing evidence all negatives Mr.
Acworth's postulate that "state railway systems are
incapable of vigorous life."

"8. An objection to national ownership which the writer has
not seen advanced is that States, counties, cities,
townships and school districts would lose some $27,000,000
of revenue derived from taxes upon railways. While this
would be a serious loss to some communities, there would be
compensating advantages for the public, as the cost of
transportation could be lessened in like measure.

"Many believe stringent laws, enforced by commissions
having judicial power, will serve the desired end, and the
writer was long hopeful of the efficacy of regulation by
State and National commissions; but close observation of
their endeavors and of the constant efforts--too often
successful--of the corporations to place their tools on such
commissions, and to evade all laws and regulations, have
convinced him that such control is and must continue to be
ineffective and that the only hope of just and impartial
treatment for railway users is to exercise the 'right of
eminent domain,' condemn the railways, and pay their owners
what it would cost to duplicate them; and in this connection
it may be well to state what valuations some of the
corporations place upon their properties.

"Some years since the Santa Fe filed in the coun