The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-03
OUR RAILWAY RIDDLE.
GATH" DiscoURses THEREuPoN.
AND SUGGESTS A SOLUTION.
Something To Be Learned from the Fffete
Despotisms-H How 1t Is Done Across
the Sea-A Word About
the Telegraph.

the Telegraph.
NEW York, July 3.-@Gathn telecrauhs
the following remarks on the railway cues.
tion to The Enquirer:
Mexico has got herself in financial straits
through railroad building. Canada is, or
soon will be, In the same situation Build
ing railroads assisted to bring on the
troubles of Peru. Opening the Suez canal
and railroad building broke up the au-
thortty of an absolute despot like the
khedive OF Egypt; the building Of
railroads in India has resulted
an immense investment by the
British people, which they call upon their
politicians to make profitable, and hence tn
curious wars to no purpose which have been
waged by the Gladstone and other govern.
ments in Egypt and the Soudan country.
The first thing that occurs to us when we
inquire about the railroad civilization is; :;
"Why are not other nations, like France for
example, In similar railroad muss!' What
Is the condition of the railroads OF Franceq
10 answer this question is to meet the whole
railroad question in Europe, for France is
never far behind any power in her domestic
developments. France has some l9, 900 miles
of railroads The scientific spirit of this ma
tion is shown by the fact that their trains
pass to the left of each other, and not to the
right. The government taxes every ticket
sold by a railroad since tue late war
The trains are classified and only high
class passengers-those who pay the highest
fares-go on the fastest trains. French
travellers are allowed only sixty y-six and two
third pounds of baggage free; those who are
going outside of France ara allowed only
tfty-five pounds The railroad charges for
entering the baggage or booking it. We have
already adopted the French plan of collec-
tions on packages left at the station, but the
French only charge cents, while We
charge 10.
When the extension of the French rail-
way system commenced the new line wa di-
rected entirely toward the public utility,
aud not to the profit Of the railroad compa.
nies. The state compelled the companies
which had built the trunk lines to go to the
rescue of the people somewhat removed
from these lines, and they received certain
support from the government for building
this new network. The state guaranteed
per cent. to the railroads for pushing the
side lines and allowed them a sinking fund
additional Of about q per cent upon their
expended capital
I'VE started our railroad craze about 1870
that year the French built little over 500
miles of railroad, and their total mileage
was some Ii, 900. The year we smashed up
1878. with one single railroad on our hands,
about 900 miles long, the French built only
$50 miles of railroad, and their entire mile
age was perhaps 17,000 The ambition of
railroad spectators and promoters there
has been restrained both for the ben
eft of the corporations and of the
public The French would never think of
allowing a competing line to enter the do
main of an obedient railroad and destroy its
business
In the United States the theorists have
generally maintained that the government
ought to keep its hands off every thing We
owe our present straights in America, and
the frequent panics which come to US here,
from there being no supervision whatever of
an intelligent and governmental sort in any
thing
1t is said that competition brings down
rates, but the French arrive at that result
without competition. There the govern
ment looks intelligently into the question
and arranges the rates. so there is no need
of any injurious competition. The govern
ment In France considers the railroad to be
an integral and unassailabls thing pu;
down for the benefit of the people, and incl
dentally for the protection Of its stockhold-
ers In this country we have gone along
permitting the states and the cor
rupt state legislatures TO do what they
| pleased Some of our railroads are tied UP
in certain state charters like the New York
Central, by which it can only charge sc
| much a mile for passengers, but this is a
| cast Iron rule and they get around it by
| charging extra for riding in the Wagner
cars Now and then they are attacked by
| ignorant combinations of farmers and Others,
| who know that there Is a grievance some
| where, and when this attack fails and i:
| abando oned there is nobody else to come in
| Attorney generals of the different states toe
often are elected by the railroad influence
| or strike the railroad for a little baksheeSh
| The British have a railroad commission, 6
| regular court, one of whose members has tC
be q person taken out of the railroad
management, and another member must
be experienced in the law. The chic
object of this court is to counter
| act the effect of railroad monopoly
| and its jurisdiction extends to Ireland and
| Scotland. A city or other great corporation
| may institute the proceedings before it so a.
| to relieve a private litigant from the law
costs. These commissioners have hug
rights Of interference, can arbitrate be-
tween different companies and between tn,
companies and the public; they even con
slider when town wants q better railroad
station or better waiting rooms. A mer
chant can come before them and indict
railroad company for giving partial rates t.
another merchant
In 1855 a celebrated English commission
reported against purchasing the railroads
| by the government but since that time al
the telegraphs in England have come unde
the go vernment custody. The people Of tn
United States had the same opportunit,
with the telegraph system at the beginning
Of Gen. Grants administration, when Mr.
Gre sSwell, in his message, advocated acquir
ing the telegraph. and he was sustained b,
the president Had that been done, W
should have escaped all the evils of stoc
iobbery In telegraph Construction, and W
also would have acquired for the public th
high taxes now paid to the telephone com
panies.
1t always pays somebody TO start a riva
telegraph company, and yet in very fey
wears there is shout that the chief telt
graph company has watered itH stock to
much: we first compel this parent compan
to take the water, and then accuse it Of th
dropsy. As America fills up now evenl
with population, it is becoming a questio
whether everybody can do everything t
pleases without the least regard to the IL
vestments of every body else.
Another Cure by Prayer.
Ill. has hoa