The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-02-12
LIVE AND LEARN
A FEW VALUABLE LESSONS
FROM ABROAD.
The People of the United States Must Con-
troll Their Own Railways, Tclegraphs,
Ranks, Marine, Etc.-Figures to Uphold
This Theory.

men. by their failures and successes,
taking note of the causes which effected
the result. | venture. then, TO present
some statistics from Il reliable authority.
The Statesman Year Book.
In Belgium. out Of il total revenue of
go. 800, 406 francs, the land taxes yield
20, ,51o.9O0 francs: mines, s43.5oo francs:
customs, %, 5,53l,600 francs: railways.
120. zoo, 900 francs; telcgraphS, $50. 900
francs. The land is divided among
1.l6l. s74 freehold propri,,tors, who pos
sess ..6l5,9al hectares out of Il total of
o.945. .5lu hectares. The state rail
ways are put down 1T 3,il0 Kill
omctres. aud company tor monop-
olyl railways at i.?5n kilometres.
Up 10 the end Of lss3 the state had spent
>>s, ioi.5", francs GA III. first cost nf il
railways. hrSidtS purchasing lines b,
means Of anntlititS, IN" capital value nf
which was ol9..@ ,G3l francs. This little
country is very generally regarded "a Il
model Of industrial progress. Bat | do
hot nicaa to imply that Eclsiun has not
her pressing labor problem. Where IL
the nation that has not
III Bavaria. out Of Il total revenue of
al, ,5si..sl marks. the state railways.
post teicgraphs, mines and state domains
yield l4l.:2s. .slt marks. or more than
one-half the revenue. Wurtemberg
shows Il total revenue of ;,4.:,J2. .O4.
marks, nf which state property yields
21,9l6.12+ marks. Austria shows total
miles OF railway l3,Gol- of which
i,i53 mile. are state roads, and
lines worked by the stat" l.2u9 miles.
Denmark shows Il considerable revenue
from stat" railways and tclegraphs. In
France the land tax yields lis. $1,000
francs: doors and Windows tax, Al, fG, 400
francs: customs. 39i, ,9ti 400 francs: post
ami telegraph. lG5,;,.:',2oo francs. There
are many lines Of railroad laid down by
the stat" for utility rather than profit.
The receipts for assisted lines are l,O4:.-
900. 600 francs, and from state lines 81
51t.Gl3 francs. In Prussia the receipts
from state railways form th" chief source
uf revenue. In recent years the income
from railways and other state undertake
ings. such as mines. has been largely
increasing. showing 1t tendency
tt become Il far more fruitful source
OF revenue than all taxation. dl-
rect or indirect. The total rrseury is
l.21s,.'?S. 800 marks, Of which the minis
try Of public works, produce ri mines,
iron furnaces. state railways etc. are
quoted at $50. >Gt;,lls marks. lii En-
gland We find that there were. in 1854.
-, npStn;f;,a s.NinrS hanks xiii,
a,333, 81, tan increase Of .:2>. .03} III 1889
accounts with depusts to the amount of
9l4.51U,ill. and tu credit OF all open
accounts tii. -, -; ..nd We must re-
member :hat. in he interest nf monopoly
banks, each person is allowed to deposit
Only Il small amount for fear all the de
posts might h" withdrawn from til" pri-
T,+. hanLs,nd nIarrd IN the ,rnvrrn
mont h,rk The telrvranhs ,rnr. trans
fnrroi 10 ,l,o go,.nrrn,.n, ,f ;,rrland ou
Feh . l.-n In .lani,ary. 1,Sf;. th.r.
w.ro - 800 mitr, ,f line and I5s.5fs
miles of wire
, 80,
Cr,.s ra,er,,e r1 ~ 60 81 5IIs
Wnrkin:. e.. Dan~..- l,O3l.52t l.3p.nsu
Net Irvcnue..-., 2i5,l@s His
In Russia the revenue from mint.
mines, post trlrGraphS and state domains
i quoted At .~.2l',.i i,l rOithlcs- The
state railways show:
EoubIeS.
| Gross receipts. pt-................2l 2l5.lG2. .>nl
Wnrlin., expenses i4s,, ,,s:,ooV
-- -.----
4>'' '''''i'N''''.'' ''''''''''' 'o'''''0''
Even III III" h"nIght"d country of the
| ear Se'rn-'l3hlh> 81 III" telegraph lines
| are owned ny the state
| We now see that there IL no very start
| ling novelty IN our demands. We also
| see that. provldcntlaliy OF evolutionary.
| As you please. the ambition and murder
| Gus tyranny OF European royal sroun-
| dreiS are carrying out ii program which
| would be called ugly names if advo-
| Gated by the people. In Eurup" the
| people ar" unfortunately deprived of the
| benefits which these measures ought 10
! produce. if it were not for the deEilish
| system of armam"ntS. kept up 80 that
| the poor working people may slaughter
each other IL glut the unsuitable aul-
| bition of royal hrIlhoHuds in the age of