Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-08-08

will excite the surprise of the politi-
cal economist, while filing its blind
devotee with regret that the system
is not still in full blossom. In Swa-
bia, at the foot of the Alps, among
a cluster of beautiful lakes, were no
less than twelve mcnasteries, sur
rounded each by a large estate in the
mo st fertile district of Bavaria, which
the monkish owners called "Der
Pfaffenwinkle,'-the Priests Cor
mes. But when Napoleon conquered
Bavaria one of his first administra-
tive acts was to issue a decree con-
fiscating all the lands of the monas-
teries and churches, except such as
were absolutely needed for church
purposes; which lands he vested by
DECREE IN THE STATE.
The Bavarian Government divid-
ed them into small parcels, and sold
them to the people in fee-simple, re-
serving the tracts covered by forests
and some of the arabic land, which
latter is rented on long leases at
moderate rates. From the annual
sale of fre-wood and lumber, and !
the rental of the farm-lands, the
Government derives about 2O,0OO,-
600 florins, SS,OO0,OOO per annum-
thereby Tightening the burden of |
taxation, and at the same time, pre-
serving the supply of fuel from de-
struction. The money derived from |
these Crown-lands is chiefly devoted |
to the support of the public schools
and universities, and to paying the !
salaries of the clergy, both Protest
ant and Catholic.
1t does not seem to be generally !
known in the United States that the |
railways of Bavaria were built and |
are owned and operated
BY THE GOVERNMENT.
Indeed, l was not aware of the fact |
until | came here and found it was so.
1t is we'll known in the United States
that half the railroads in Belgium
are owned and operated by the State,
in competition with, or rather in reg
ulation of those owned by private
companies; aud 1t is also known that
the German Government purchased !
the French r. RS. in Alsace-Loraine |
and that it is operating them success
fully; but the important and interest
ing fact of State ownership of all |
the railways in Bavaria, except a
few short local pieces of road, has
been generally overlooked by the |
American press and writer's on rail
road subjects.
The Bavarian system of railroads |
belonging to the Government had an
extent of 2,13O miles in 1878, and |
had cost the Government for their |
construction 146, 100000 of forins;
to which must be added for discount |
on bonds sold, and for right of way, |
and other extra costs, the further
sum of 17,5OG,OOO forins-making a
grand total for everything that can be
charged to Capital account, up to
the beginning of 1874, of the sum of |
1874, ,428, 800 forins, or, in American
currency, Sc, ,93O,OOO, which amount |
has been added to the public debt in
the shape of bonds drawing per
cent. interest. The cost of the |
State roads was about $4,000 per
mile; but, adding the discount on
bonds, and the right of way, they |
stand the government in $3l, 400 per
mile. These roads are built, how
ever, in the
MOST SOLID AND SUBSTANTIAL MAN |
NER.
Curves have not been indulged in to |
avoid deep cuts, fills and tunnels; all |
the culverts are of stone; all the |
bridges are solid stone arches, or
constructed of iron with stone abut-
ments. Streets and even country
roads, are crossed on viaducts. Three |
or four of the principal lines have
double tracks, and all the roads hav-
ing much business to do are laid |
with steel rails. All the stations,
both passenger and freight, are built
of stone or brick, and are as nearly |
fire proof as possible. The work
was all performed under the direc-
tion of military engineers. AS far
as can be judged by appearances, the
amount of labor and value expended
in the construction of those State
roads must be at least double that
expended per mile ON railroads in
Illinois and the estates" generally.
As nearly as | can ascertain, the
Government charges cent to Il
cents per mile per ton for moving
freight, the rates in winter being the
same as in summer. As the curren-
cy, weights and distances are all so
different, reckoned from the Ameri-
can standards of dollar, ton and
mile, l find it somewhat difficult to
equate Bavarian into American equi-
valants, and therefore may not be
very exact in the translations, and
can only give a
CLOSE APPROXIMATION.
However, the passenger fares are
about as follows: For first class tick
cts on express trains, with 90 pounds
of baggage free for each passenger,
the charge is 4 J cents per mile; for
second-class cars, which are as clean
and comfortable as the average
American car, cents per mile; and
for third class, which are moderately
comfortable, and far better than the
hard, perpendicular back wooden
seats, and filthy cars, called Semi
grant cars'' in the States, the fare is
about II cent per mile. On the
slower way-traihs, the charge is
about 20 per cent less than the above
rates. These charges are substan-
TALLY the same as those exacted in all
parts of Germany, Austria, Italy and
Belgium. In France there is a Gov
ernment tax of something like 10
per cent. added since the disastrous
war with Germany, for the purpose
of defraying the interest on the Gin
demnity" paid to Germany, and to
support the useless "army of re-
venge." e,
. M -. -. r.. f.,,, oil the rail-