It carries on and
publishes its own researches in geology, meteorology, statistics,
zoology, geography, and even theology. In our colonies the English
Government further allows and encourages the communities to provide for
themselves railways, canals, pawnbroking, theatres, forestry, cinchona
farms, irrigation, leper villages, casinos, bathing establishments, and
immigration, and to deal in ballast, guano, quinine, opium, salt, and
what not. Every one of these functions, with those of the army, navy,
police, and courts of justice, were at one time left to private
enterprise, and were a source of legitimate individual investment of
capital."[37]
Some of the utilities and conveniences thus supplied by public capital
and public labour are old-established wants, but many are new wants, and
the marked tendency of public bodies to undertake the provision of the
new necessaries and conveniences which grow up with civilization is a
phenomenon which deserves close attention.
Sec. 5. Motives of "Socialistic Legislation."--Stated in general terms,
this socialistic tendency may be described as a movement for the control
and administration by the public of all works engaged in satisfying
common general needs of life, which are liable, if trusted to private
enterprise, to become monopolies.
Articles which everybody needs, the consumption or use of which is
fairly regular, and where there is danger of insufficient or injurious
competition, if the provision be left to private firms, are constantly
passing, and will pass more and more quickly, under public control.
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