The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-19
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

NATIONAL CONSOLIDATION OF RAIL
wAYs.-TEis is an effort to solve the trans
portaIion problem in the United States
which George II. Lewis, member of the
Des MONIES Qowa) bar. has recently SUBJ
mitted to the public. If Mr.. Lewis plan
does not prove panacea for the evils OF
railway exactions the publication of it will
serve to enlighten the public and make it
acquainted with the magnitude of the
question which some day must be met and
decided once and for all. Mr.. Lewis dis
claim any intention TO utilize the book
as an attack upon railroad managers,
although some sharp criticisms of the
mana cement under the present system are
given. He points ont that the railroads
have performed wonderful work in ad-
vancing civilization and have transformed
the face of the country and the methods of
doing business. but with the Infinite gain
over former methods have grown up grew
Gus wrongs and evils: whole States have
been oppressed and ground down by exor-
bitant exactious: railroad wars, due often
times to personal animosities among the
managers or personal speculation, have
disarranged the business of great comm IN
tiles, anu the resultant loss and cutting
down of wages or requirements of excess
sive hours of labor have preciDitated
strikes and caused terrible losses to stock
uUtuctos lHcSo ttiio W
large extent due TO the unsound
principles of social and political economy
underlying the present railroad system
To remedy all this Mr.. Lewis proposes
consolid alton under some form OF Govern
ment control. With this end in view he
suggests the passage by Congress of an act
creating CORPORATION which will include
the great railway systems of the country.
The management of the corporation shall
be in the hands of commission,
the members Of which shall be chosen
as follows: The President of the
United States shall appoint presi-
dent and six commissioners. of which
latter oDe-half shall be selected from each
of the two principal political parties, and
in addition each State shall be entitled to
one commissioner chosen by the people of
the State. Then the owners of stock in
the corporations-tha is, the stockholders
of the railways-shall be entitled to elect
as many commissioners as the several
States in the aggregate arc authorized to
elect The term of Office of the presi-
dent shall be nine years, and he shall
not be eligible TO reappointment He
shall appoint SUPERINTENDENT and divi-
sion SUPERINTENDENT for each State. All
the officers of the company shall be in
eligible TO any political Office during their
term of service and for two years there
after. This corporation shall have power
not only 10 operate existing railroads, but
! to Construct new ones. Every railroad in
/ the United States shall pay into the ma.
tional treasury yearly tax equal to 10 per
cent of its gross receipts. Every railroad
in the United States may by vote of its
| stockholders elect 20 surrender its charter
and be entitled TO the privileges OF the act.
| The stock of the consolidated company
shall pay dividend of 3 per cent per an
mum and no more ana such dividend shall
be guaranteed by the national Govern
| Nnrf md ha dIran nf ha I'd
of Commissioners schedule OF traffic and
passenger rates shall be prepared which
shall be on such basis as shall. meet the
cost of operating and maintaining the con-
solidated road, paying dividends on the
stock and creating sinking fund SUM-
cent to extiDgulsh its Indebtedness within
100 years.
Such is brief outline Of Mr.. Lewis
plan of consolidation. In arguing for its
adoption be takes up and combatS the
various objections urged against II. He
does not believe, for instance, that this
great consolidated concern would prove
more OF a political machine than are the
various systems run under private owner
ship. lie points out that III the national
conventions of the TWO parties last year the
railway power was conspicuous anu d0ml-
nant, and IL would be difficult to see how
the railroads could have greater inffu-
ence in political caucuses and conventions
IL tu6y WE'RE OWHtu ny tnO Wv
eminent and their offices were made openly
the spoils Of political mastery. Against
the charge that his plan would mean prac-
ticaly cODfiscatiOn of all railway prop
erty, Mr.. Lewis points out that he proposes
to take their property at fair valuation.
exchanging therefor stock OF the consoli-
dated company.
Ali through bis book Mr.. Lewis eviDces
an earnest desire TO benefit the public and
shows spirit of fairness toward corporate
Interests. 1t is hoped that the discussion
which his arguments are likely to evoke will
aid toward right understanding and just
solution of one of the greatest problems
now confronting the American people.
New York: Dodd. Mead d Co. For sale
by William Doxey.
The COMPLETE SPoRTsMAN.-In this
volume. which Mr.. Rowland Casper in
tends for a manual Of practical knowledge
for the Information of all votaries of the
gun. he has done a real service for the
amateur American sportsman. No one
~.,t,o tt,it Gan