ivering parcels, and the larger shops have their own delivery vans as
well. Thus there is an enormous loss of horse power and men's time. If a
government postal system undertook the work, only one cart would deliver
goods in each street, and as there might be a parcel for almost every
house, or sometimes several, there would be an almost incredible saving
in the distance travelled and the time taken up. This illustrates the
economy which may arise from government management.

#94. The Disadvantage of Government Management.# On the other hand there
is great evil in the government undertaking any work which can be fairly
done by private persons or companies. Officers of the government are
seldom dismissed when once employed, or, if turned away, they receive
pensions. Thus when the government establishes any new work, it cannot
stop it without great expense, and the work is usually carried on
whether it is done economically or not. Then again, government officers,
knowing that they will not be dismissed without a pension, are commonly
less active and careful than men in private employment. For the work
which they do they are paid at a higher rate than in private
establishments.

It is therefore very undesirable that the Government should take any
kind of work into its own hands, unless it is perfectly clear that the
work will be done much better, and more cheaply than private persons
could do it. There is a balance of advantages and disadvantages to be
considered: the advantage of a single great establishment with plenty of
funds; and the disadvantage that work is always done more expensively by
Government. In the case of the post-office, the advantages greatly
outweigh the disadvantages; the same would probably be the case with a
well-arranged parcel post; in the postal telegraphs, there are many
advantages, but they are obtained at a considerable loss of revenue. If
the state were to buy up and manage the railways of Great Britain, the
advantages would be comparatively small, but the losses would be
enormous. In America the express or parcel companies are so admirably
managed that they do the work more safely and better than the Government
post office. There can be little doubt, too, that the American railways
and telegraphs are far better managed now than they would be if acquired
by the Federal Government.

CHAPTER XVI.

TAXATION.

#95. There must be Taxes.# Whether governments undertake more or less
func