The Principles of Economics Part 64

7. Are interest rates changing in America?

8. In what ways is the rate of interest affected by the rise or fall of the value of money?

CHAPTER 53. PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF INDUSTRY

1. What are munic.i.p.al franchises? Where are they?

2. What kinds of munic.i.p.al industries have you seen in operation? How successful were they?

3. What are the main arguments for and against the city ownership and control of gas and waterworks?

4. What troubles arise from city politics?

5. Name the industries that are owned and controlled by towns and cities of which you have a personal knowledge.

6. Which of them are most satisfactory in your judgment? Which the least so?

7. What is the public sentiment in your home community as to the ownership of industries by the town or city?

8. What forms of state activity favor survival of unfit men and bad traits of character? What forms help the fittest to survive?

NOTE.--For exhaustive and well-arranged references on all aspects of munic.i.p.al control and munic.i.p.al ownership see R.

C. Brooks, _Bibliography of Munic.i.p.al Problems_, pp.

157-169, in _Munic.i.p.al Affairs_, Vol. V, No. 1 (March, 1901).

CHAPTER 54. RAILROADS AND INDUSTRY

1. Why is transportation a greater problem in the United States than in Europe?

2. Show in what way natural waterways have determined the location of leading cities in America.

3. Give examples of cities whose growth has been caused by railroads.

4. What interests favor and what oppose the building of an isthmian ca.n.a.l?

5. Mention in order of economic importance four things that would happen if all American railroads were suddenly to be destroyed.

6. What cases have you seen where the railways impose unjustly on the public?

7. Give instances you have seen or heard of where two shippers paid different rates for the same service.

8. Why should preachers get half-fare rates?

9. If your neighbor rides on a pa.s.s and you pay your fare, are you helping to pay for his ride?

10. Do you know any large cities that are more favorable shipping-points than neighboring towns? Give reasons.

CHAPTER 55. THE PUBLIC NATURE OF RAILROADS

1. What legal rights do the builders of a railroad have that are not enjoyed by all citizens?

2. Can you see any clear distinction between the public nature of a railroad and of a horse and carriage?

3. What harm can there be in the acceptance of pa.s.ses by judges, legislators, and other public officials?

4. Ought the law prohibit the sale of tickets by "scalpers"?

5. Who has the greater political power, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, or the governor of that state?

CHAPTER 56. PUBLIC POLICY AS TO CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

1. What effect would it have if the state should make laborers work for unsuccessful employers at lower wages than for successful ones?

2. Or should reduce rents for the less capable merchants and manufacturers?

3. Is there any rule for determining the limits of state interference?

4. Why does the question of the control of the railways in the interest of the public present especial difficulties in America?

CHAPTER 57. FUTURE TREND OF VALUES

1. Make a list of the things discussed in this course that tend toward improving the average condition of men.

2. Make a list of those that tend toward worse conditions for the ma.s.s of men.

3. State what kinds of material agents will probably increase in value relative to other kinds, giving reasons.

4. State what to your mind are three important economic problems whose answer is most uncertain, giving reasons.

5. If you had the power, what single public measure that you believe would be practicable and effective would you put on the statute books, in order to make a juster division of the social income? Give reasons.

NOTE.--On the subject of this chapter, see Devine, _Economics_, ch. XVII (disposition of the social surplus); Jenks, _The Trust Problem_, pp. 190-211; Marshall, Bk. VI, chs. XI and XII.