Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-20

The discussion Of the question OF gov
eminent control of railroads IS not con-
fined to this country. In England Ine
question is receiving a great deal OF atten-
tion In A late number of the London
Times Mr.. LANG. the President of the
Brighton Railway, presents some views
on the question that are worthy OF atten-
ton. Mr.. LANG assumes that railroads
must be regulated by the government or
bv competition, if regulated at all He
presents the advantages and disadVan-
tages which flow from the two kinds OF
regulation, and reaches a conclusion Ia
vorable to government regulation. Com
petition. he saws. is runOus to the owners
of railroad and damaging to the interests
of the public. A fierce competition MAKES
a road improbable. An unprOhtaole
road quickly runs down. The pubic are
not furnished with all the modern con-
veniences and improvements for travel
ing. Mr. Laing instances his own ROAD,
the Brighton Railway. He says the Ioau
had first five bad years and did literally
nothing for the public. 1t then mad nVe
good years and spent twelve ana nan
millions Of dollars in improvements. Inc
road bed was made safer and smoother.
More than double @ the number OF
trains We're put on, the cars
were made more comfortable, and
extra men We're employed, which
Iessened the danger OF accidents. Com
petition, Mr.. LANG says, generally re-
suits in combination. The competing
al ,s4l-a mi
running under one management. Money
is what the stockholders want. The com
peting lines become a great monopoly.
Evidently the condition Of affairs in Eng
land is very much like what they are in
this country. Competition lasts only lit
tie while, and then the competing COM
panies combine to compel the public to
make up their losses during the period
Of rivalry. Mr.. Laing believes III state
control, provided that control recognizes
1.-THE substantial identity of the
interests, rightly understood, OF
shareholders and the pub
lie" In other words, Mr.. Lang
wants the State to say that it will see
that the public have all the benefits, COM
forts and advantages which can be OBJ
tanned at a cost that will leave the
shareholders of the road only fair return
for their Investment. and will al the same
time prevent the establishment Of other
lines that could inaugurate ruinOus
competition. 1t Is question whether Mr.
Laing's scheme is practicable. In this
country it would certainly deprive
great many localities of railroad facilities
for which the people are willing to pay,
however high the price might be. 1t
would also be very difficult to secure such
wise and vigorous control as would make
the scheme satisfactory and successful.
tits nevertheless true that there is cOmpar-
atively little competition in this country.
Nearly all the railroads of the country
have been gathered into systems which
are great mOnOpolies. When a road be-
comes poor and loaded with debt in trying
to compete with some other road it IS
bought up by a syndicate, and becomes
part of a system. The public are required
to pay in increased rates the accumulated
debts OF the bankrupt road. The fact that
this question is being widely discussed in
England and this country shows that the
evils growing out of great railroad mo-
nOpOlies are general, and that remedy
for them is being earnestly sought.