Page:The fallacy of danger from great wealth.djvu/30

24 built in the United States that in any of the fifteen preceding years. Much money, driven away from railroad investments by government control, has found its way into industrials. If, now, the government is going to "control" industrials also, what will be the result as to investments of savings in industrials? Will they continue? If not, there will be a smaller amount to pay out in wages.

Add to the above loss the fact that a very large part of our country is still without railroads, and is compelled to haul its products to market long distances over execrable wagon roads, which by the way are and have been under the absolute ownership and control of the government, and constitute a striking example of government "control." What the producer and consumer have to pay per mile for such hauling is many times what any railroad ever charged its patrons. Competition and efficiency under freedom of management have been the main causes of the reduction of railroad rates to the present low level. The little that the railroad commissions have saved in rates to some shippers where railroads now exist may be nothing compared with the total loss that government "control"