The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-10-21

woke private capital to undertake it
but more directly as war measure to
secure means of military transport of
men and munitions. In these two
countries railroads are owned and
operated by governments as part of
their military equipment. almost as
much as warships are. The cost of
transportation to the public upon them
depends upon the necessity or caprice
of the crowd, and is the highest upon
any of the railroads in the world.
GOVERNMENT SURRENDER
''In no country has the lesson of ex-
perience been more instructive in this
respect than in Italy. From the lack
of private capital and its extreme con-
sentative, which unstable political con-
ditions produce, the Italian government
had to undertake these enterprises, but
soon found it impossible to operate and
maintain their railroads without loss.
The result was a parliamentary COM
mission, only few years ago, which
made the most thorough investigation
of the railroad problem that has ever
been given to the world. The commits
sion reported as its conclusion that the
government ought not to operate rail
roads, and although Italy owned its
railroads, it should at once charter pri
vate corporations to operate and manage
them.
''The parliament promptly took up
the report of its commission and enacted
suitable laws to put its recommended
tions in force. The plan adopted was
for the government to turn over the
management of its railroads to private
companies under leases. Since this
was done the physical condition of the
roads has been greatly improved; they
have been more efficiently managed; the
service on them better and cheaper; the
companies operating them fairly re-
munerated from their earnings, and the
government receives a rental revenue
from them equal to fair interest upon
the money expended in their coustruc-
ton.
''The experience of Australia and it's
promptly adopted means of relief is
almost an exact repetition of that of
Italy.
PRIVATE CAPIAL SUPREME.
'It was under the bold leadership of
George Stephenson that England first
began to lay out and build railroads, an
example quickly followed by the United
States, and in both England and the
United States private capital was
offered in sufficient volume to construct
and extend their respective systems as
rapidly as a public demand seemed to
warrant. Sweden and Norway elected
to commit the construction, ownership
and management of railroads to private
capital, organized under charter priv
ileges similar to those in the United
States and England.
''In all Of these countries where pri-
vate, instead of government, construc-
ton and management of railroads pre-
vailed, freer and more popular forms of
government had fostered spirit of
self-reliant enterprise among the peo-
pie, who had become less dependent
upon government and more upon them
selves, for the improvement of material
conditions and the promotion of gen.
cral welfare. The genius of a broader
political liberty had overcome the
theory of paternalism; broadened the
plane of intelligence; given a stimulus
to personal endeavor and private cap
ital which was felt in every department
Of industry and investment, whether
related to production or transportation.
Col. Harris quotes from a report of
Gladstone made twenty-five years ago
to show that Great Britain is now in
favor of government ownership of rail-
roads, and says, upon that authority,
that England is simply occupying a
position of army observation ready to
take possession of its railroads; that
they are simply watching to see how
the thing will CO.
THE SAME CONDITIONS.
Nothing more absurd than this was
ever expressed in words. The truth is
that the commercial conditions there
are very similar to those here. En-
gland passed through and cured the
ills we now grapple with long ago. In
CAPABILITIES of advantages and discrimi-
nations in railroad charges were quick
" perceived and strongly resented
there as here, and railway management
has given rise to complaints of the same
general nature as those which have
arisen in this country. For many years
parliament wrestled with the subject
of railway 'extOrtions' and 'discrimina-
tons by special legislation, oft repeat
ed, all of which seemed of no avail
In their despair of finding remedies
adequate to the evils complained of
there was more or less talk and clamor
of the unthinking about the govern
ment ownership and management of
railways, and at one time it was made
condition of railway charters that,
failing to meet its obligations, the gov
eminent should have the right to buy
the road and its equipment at valua-
ton which should be equal to its cost
and 10 per cent. annual interest there
on from date of investment. But no
men, in or out of parliament, ever sug-
gested the taking possession of the rail-
roads
THE FIRST RAIL WAY COMMISSION
but railway commission was pro-
vided for by act of parliament, and laws
enacted for the supervision of railroad
management, for it to administer; an
example we have followed in many
states and finally adopted by congress
for the United States. The law raising
the English commission was amended
and improved until it met every reason
able demand of the people, and its juris-
diction extended to Ireland and Scot
land. That commission still exists to
deal with complaints OF railroad mis-
management, but few indeed ever reach
it now. The law, in its application to
the conditions of transportation, to pub
lie and corporate rights and duties, has
become so completely settled and