The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-22
a Few Facts for Populista.

The populists orators are telling the
farmers and railroad employees that goy-
eminent ownership of the railroads would
be good thing for them. Why would it
be good thing for them2 Would the
farmers get freight and passenger trans
portation at lower rates2 Would the
railroad employees get higher wages?
Why do not the populist orators and
newspapers answer such questions as the
foregoing2 The reason is probably that
if they should answer them, and answer
them truthfully. there are few populists
who would favor the government owner
ship of railroads.
In accordance with a resolution intro
duced by Senator Pettigrew, and adopted
by the Senate, the interstate commerce
commission has made a statement show
ing the countries in which the railroads
are owned by the government, and making
comparison of the rates charged by those
roads with the rates charged by the
roads in this country. The substance of
the statement is as follows:
Ten countries do not own or operate
railways, viz: Colombia, Great Britain
and Ireland, Mexico, Paraguay. Peru,
Spain, switzerland, lurkeN, United
States and Uruguay.
Inc following governments own and op-
crate some of the railways, viz: Argen-
tina, Australasia, Austria Hungary, BEL
GUM, Bra. il, Canada, Cape of Good
Hope. Chile, Denmark, France Germany,
Guatemala, India, Japan, Norway, Port
ugal, Russia and Sweden-lS.
The following governments own and op-
crate practically all their railways, viz ::
Egypt and Nicaragua
The following governments own part Of
| their railways, but do not operate any,
leasing all the present mileage to private
companies, viz: Greece, Holland and
| Italy-3.
The relative rates charged for freight
and passenger service on the government
owned railroads and the other facts cited
in connection with such roads are calcu-
lated TO a1ord little encouragement to the
advocates OF government ownership. A
comparison of passenger charges per mile
shows an average in Great Britain of T. AZ
cents for first class, 800 for second class
and l94 for third class In France the
average is 3S5 cents for first class. 2.S6
for second class and 20S cents for third
class. In Germany the rate is 3. 10 cents
first class, 2.52 cents second class and l.54
cents third class. In the United States
the average charge is :. II cents.
The average charges per ton per mile
are as follows: In Great Britain, $50
| cents in France, 2.20 cents; in Germany
l.64 cents, and in the United State, cent.
The foregoing shows that railroad
travel is cheaper in the United States
than in any other country, and that farm
ers and others have their produce carried
to market at less than half the rate that
farmers and others have to pay in Eng
land and France, and at very nearly half
/ the rate that is paid in Germany
No statement relative 70 wages paid
railroad employees is furnished, but it is a
notorious fact that wages in European
countries are far below the wages paid
| in this country.
! In the face of these facts what argu.
ments have the populists TO offer in sup.
/ port of their demand for the government
ownership of railroads
There has been talk Of moving the his