Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-02

NlbIuut even tlle NlOSL pTIiIltiNC ttA-Cb So.4-
veniences. The anuoyanceS and the suffer
ing occasioned thereby are incdlcuiablc.
Think of the feeble women and elderly men,
Of the invalids and children, who are forced
to put up with
SUCH INDUSTRIOUS NEGLECT
on the part of those whose duty it is 10 pro-
vide in every possible way for their COM
fort during the journey. as they are paid
for doing so. To be sure il is true that the
railway companies make a pretense OF FUR
niShing their patrons with these accommo-
datiOns at the stations along the route, but
as the runs between the stations are very
long, the stops short and the weather often
Indictment, il Is often very difficult for la
dies. children and invalids to leave the
train in order 10 avail themselves of even
these wretched excuses for conVenIences.
Here is an illustration of the gross abuses
OF such a system. | mention case when
came under my own personal observation
during one of my continental journeys. An
American lady left her seat in the train 10
enter one of these cabinets. and she was
actually locked in and kept there until the
train had moved of without her. simply
because having left her purse in the cars
she was unable to pay the few sous that
were demanded.
Another serious discomfort and g source
Of very great annoyance on European rail
ways is caused by the inccSSant iOltin%
This is due very largely TO the small size
and faulty construction of the cars. If YOU
happen TO ride in the forward ''cdrrlage
OF any Of the express trains on European
railway. YOU are thrown up and down.
from side 10 side. with a violence which
could only have been cqualed in the Julted
States in the old days Of stage-codch.pg,
when those numbering vehicles We're driven
over what were called corduroy roads,
which were constructed by feliIn" trees
nllrInCr Thorn t.lDS. I1IEt.flID-f-
across the highway. Charles Dickens had
some experience of roads OF this kind while
travelling IN Ohio on the occasion Of his
first visit 10 this country about 1872. and lie
has eloqUcntly described, in his ''AIncrjcau
Notes" the consequent sutfcrings Of him
self and Mrs. Dickens from the iolting aud
humping to which they were subjected. il
would require a pen Is brilliant ana iaciie
IS that Of the great novelist 20 do justice
to the discomfort endured by an American
tourist while travelling i'll the forward car
Of an express train on a European railway.
Government ownership OF railroads )
very common in Europe. | think this de-
Cdedly Objectionable. In every country
there should be proper legislation bo-h 10
protect the public against eTtortion and 10
prevent
UNJUST DISCRIMINATION,
but aside from such restrictive action, and
with proper railroad commissions as
tribunals for the prompt and inexpensive
disposition of grievances ald the enforce
menI OF he laws. ! maintain that the gov
erumcnt should have 10 authority over the
railroads of country. One single argU-
meut viii dispose OF this question so far as
our own land OF the United States Is con-
Cerued. Let us suppose that our railroads
were controlled from Washington. Is il
not perfectly plain to the mcaLeSt compre-
nension that with such civil service laws
ana such administration of them rs we have
seen, the party in power could never be
displaced by anything short of 4 rcvolU-
tiOu2
But this is not the only objection to hay
ing 7 he railroads Of this country placed I'M
der the control of the government. With
our railroad system as il is at present, the
bitter struggle which is constantly going on
between the many rival companies forces
each 10 raise its standard of excellence to
the very highest point in the hope OF al
tracing the greatest amount of patronage
to itself. As a result of this intensity Of
competition, Improvements are being con-
stantly introduced, now inventions are
eagerly sought after, and COurteSics and
concessions are extended TO the public in
various ways. In word, briefly, under
our present system railroad directors are
forced to study in every possible way the
general comfort, safety and welfare OK the
community upon which they rely for pat
rOnage. These numerous advantages az
crue to the people rs the result of the IL
tense competition between the many rival
lines. Now government monopoly would
mean sure and certain death TO competition;
aud therefore death to all railroad enterprise
and progress.
Let US illustrate the difference between
the competition existing in our own country
under our present system of independent
railway lines and the utter lack nj such
competition on the continent of Europe,
where railroads are under government con
troll. A dozen different railway lines vie
actively with each other for the traffic be
tween New York and Chicago. but a
FrCnchman about to take his departure
from his beloved Paris has no choice in the
matter One company will take him south.
but only one; another runs to the west or
north, but neither has u rival; and it is so
in every part of France. The result is.
therefore, that while free competition has
blessed the United States with the model
railway system Of the world, France. linger-
ing still in the darkness of monopoly, has
not Yet acquired what some good people
call "a realizing sense" of her own in
fcriOrity.
Had railway science attained IFS .ttinata
development il Is possible tiat 0Irr GOVERN
meEt might be able TO control Jh' .isu- Suc-
cessfully. But railway scirG.c IS very far
from having said its last word, and no gov
eminent would ever keep abreast with the
progress of discovery, as is being done from
month to month by our great private com
panieS. As to improvements which are
still to come. electric motors. electric light
ing. etc, railroad man IS essentially an
optimisr, believing
ALL THINGS POSSIBLE
in the way of rapid transit, except aerial
which as yet seems chimerical
for railway trains at least.
Another weighty argument against the
system of state monopoly lies in the diff
culties experienced by travellers in securing
under 1t satisfaction or redress for wrongs
or losses Of any kind. In the event of the
OF government control over
our railroads, complaints would become
suits against the government, and
a mans estate is eaten up by lawyers, and
his grandson laid away in the grave before
anything tangible results from an appeal to
Justice
To form any adequate idea OF the auto
cratic manner in which the railways OF
continental Europe under government con-
troll are managed, il is necessary 10 person.
ally observe the methods of their admins
tratiOn. To illustrate the character of this
| will relate an incident which I
know to be authentic. A party of -Ameri- !
can students. travelling through Germany.
reached a railway station in one OF the large
cities Just is their train was pulling out.
An Official seeing that they had started TO
run after the retreating train with the eyi- |
dent intention Of getting aboard, called out |
10 them not to attempt to get on the cars !
while they were in motion. AS the cars
We're moving slowly, they paid no attention |
70 this official warming aud clam bprp0 |