, 1873-11-18

8lpilltT tnAn Iof ono anu LILO 1h34Gatlou W LIB
stop should como from tho United 8tatca. as
hnving tho creator intorostB ut stake.
=-@=
aovERNMENT RAILROADS IN EUROPE.
Mr.. William Gait has paper in tho November
number Of the Fortnightly Reuio,o advocating
the rurohaao Of tho British railroads by tho
Government In tho course Of which he furnishes
vomo interesting nnd valuable information coll
corning tho rolativo merits Of the private aud
tho public Bystems Of railroads. In England, aa
in America, tho railroads arc oil in tho hands Of
private capitalists ; in oil tho othcr European
Governments. they arc partly the property Of
the State, OF snbjeo. to stato CONTROL with tho
privilege Of Government purchase. It WAS not
tho intention Of tho British Parliament, in the
first instance, that railway cum pnnies should
have monopoly Of tho means Of communication
on their 1uoa. All the aots OF incorporation
stipulated that all persous should have tho
right to use the roads on payment Of certain
tolls. But as tho railroads grow in
strength and businaus by tho uso
Of locomotive power, this system was
found to DO impractcablo, and 1t has long
sinoo been abandoned. This loft tho ownora
possessed Of great monopoly, ninco competi-
tion is absolutely shut out whore ono person or
one corporation has tho exclusive uso OF an iron
highway. The grievances Of which the British
public now complain aro substantially tho Harno
in character as those Of the American public,
viz. Excessive ratee; discrimination against
certain towns and districts refusal to separate
transportation ehargea from tho chargoa for
handling the arbitrary classification Of goods; i;
determined opposition to new limos and the
ratlaal Of the variouB lines to mako running ar
engagements with lines Of antagonistio interests.
a year or 50 ago, the Liverpool Chamber Of
Commerce forwarded memorial to the Primo
Minister. setting forth deliberate diacriminh-
tion against that city In order that Improbable
railway extensions in other directions might be
made to pay. The remedy suggested Was tie
limitation Of the oompany's dividends, but as
suoh limitation WAS not authorized, no action
was takon. Evidence has also been produced
to show TINT the railroads hAve spent hundreds
Of thousands OF pounds to prevent tho char
tering and building Of now linos Other owl
dence bas bsen found in plenty to the effect that
railroads deliberately retard comm ercih progress
and incscase the cost Of travel by refusing to
make arrangements for connecting different
ayatems in schedule Of fares, or by giving rum
ming powers. because they were contending in
tereats. Railroads run their passenger cara in
England with an average Of not more than one-
third Of tho seats 1llod, but they refuse to re-
| duce their fares and increase travel, whom they
| would not receive any more money than ut presa
ent. These md other grievances. Mr. Gait coll
tends, can only DO removed by tho Government
| purchase Of tho railroads.
A comparison between the British and Be1.
gian, or Continental railroad systemsis certainly
much to tho advantage Of the lattsr In practical
operation for the public bopoas. Belgium nas
the frat Of Continental countries to rocog-
nize tho valuo Of wol.establishod System
| Of rnilroads. The lines were laid out by engi-
neers, and network Of railways OF about 600
crossing each other at right angles, were con
atrucsed. With subsidiary linea. ~ TITO sa.nt
time, charters were granted to private corpora
tionH. In 1860. the State Ind constructed 841
miles, and the private companies 1o3 miles, o.
railroad. From this time on, the private oom
pauies made more rapid progross. ~ tho pur
pose Of tho Government had been accomplished
aud, In 1860, 727 Of tho l, ,072 miles of railroad IL
the Kingdom wero In tho hands Of private cor
poratious. Tho Government eoncosstonB wer
glson separately and In small lots and great car,
has always heen exercised to reserve sunioion
rights to prevent monopoly. At drst, yer,
low rAte WAS adopted for thu Government ronde
but 1t haa besn Increased little siuce that tim
In order to furnish sufficient encouragement /,
fhir profits for the private companies. Th
Government cares to earn no mora than onoue!
to nay tho interest on tho capital invested an
set aside pmall amount each year ss a sinkin
fund for the hnal discharge Of tho,debt.
Tho French welo 1yo yenra behind England /
constructing their first railroad The prjnclpl
1T State management was defeated at tho bogit
ming, Mr.. ualt anys, by two parties, ono OF whie
WAS Jealous Of tho influence which nuoh Val
patronage would give tho Governments, and tt
: other dosirous OF making great profits out Of th
introduction Of railway shares on the Boura
: It IVES not until Napoleon III. aaconded ti
tArono that system Of Government contr
was fairly inauguratcd. The French railwa,
arc operated under loascs. At tho expiration I
ninety-uino years from 1859, oil railroads rove
to TIC State. Tie railroad syHtom Of German
{ waa started In 1888. with concessions to priva
= companies, but 1t hna since bcen changed I
that tho system ia practically the aame Al th'
i OF belgium. Tho accommodations are III ore,
{ way superior to those Of tho British railway
aud yet tho charges are but little mora than hui
y In passenger travel, = hundred miles In Irelau
t costs nrst-olaHa passenger 1as. ID. (3+5o gold
y and In Germany only 12s. Cd. (s'3); owost ola'
in ireland, S.. ID. (a2.1o), iu Germany 81. 2
Q $500. Tho railroad systems q tic other Co