The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-04
STATE OWNERSHIP OF RAIL.
ROADS.
The Great Advantages Which Old
Countries Have Over Americans.

The Great Advantages Which Old
Countries Have Over Americans.
Every now and then we meet some
fairly intelligent man, who says: II
like your Populist platform, all but
the state ownership Of railroads. l
can't swallow that" We answer him:
would you like to travel at one cent a
mile or less, instead of three cents a
mile; or, as it is in parts of Montana,
ten cents mile?" They reply, sis
that possible?"
Read the following from Irving's
Breakers Ahead" page As:
TRANSPORTATION.
The first plank of the transporta-
tion section is as follows:
Transportation being a means of
exchange and public necessity, the
government should own and operate
the railroads in the interest of the
people,"
1t is sound maxim Of political
economy that fall natural monopolies
should be owned and operated in the
interest of the people,
Chief Justice Black, in one of his de-
cisions, declared that
"a railroad is public highway for
the public benefit"
His decisi on has never been cues
toned, and all railroad legislation
takes this for granted. But for the
government to own and operate the
railroads is another thing.
There are people who say that rail-
road can not be profitably and salts
factorily carried on by the govern
ment. In anwer to this it is sufficient
to say that they are already carried on
satisfactorily. economically and profit
ably by the government in different
parts OF the world. And that in this
country they are not carried on by the
private companies either satisfactory
ly, economically or proftably, especi-
ally SO far as the people are concerned.
In Germany almost all the railroads
were acquired by the government in
1881. Wages have been almost doubled.
and the fare is one cent for four miles.
The following item appeared the other
day in the Golden State
Prof. Sering, of Berlin, who was
sent here by the German government to
study and report upon our agricultural
and industrial conditions, states that
the entire German people are now con-
WINGED of the wisdom of the change,
and while there is more or less discus
sion in the legislative body regarding
railroad administration, no voice is
ever raised in favor Of return to the
old system. Rates have been largely
reduced, interest on bonds paid, sink
ing funds provided for, large portion
OF school tax paid out of the earnings,
and there is nova surplus of 5000, 900
on hand, But the best part of the
SYSTEM says Prof. Sering. is the COM
plete abolition of discrimination: all
men are treated exactly alike, no one
shipper has the advantage over anoth-
er. Were there no other advantage,
even if in other respects the present
system was not so desirable as the old,
this one, with its even handed Justice
to all, would instantly silence any de-
mand that might be made for a return
to private ownership"
d. A. Reynolds in his Demands"
says:
Australia, which has the most ex-
tenSive railroad system in proportion
to inhabitants Of any country on the
face of the globe, has paid for her rail
roads from the earrings of the roads in
ten years. and for the last three years
has appropriated their NET earnings
to the support Of the government
reducing national taxation nearly One-hdlf.
This has been done with reduction
of freight to One-half Of the former
rates, and the reduction of passenger
rates to One-hdJ cent per mile, or one
guinea for thousand mile ticket"
Fellow citizens, how would you like
to be able to ride 1000 miles for S.?
And to know that the biggest part of
that is profit; going to reduce the
taxes.
1T CAN, AND WILL BE DONE
if you put the Peoples party in power.
In Hungary, state ownership raised
the number of passengers IN one yedY
from 5000, 900 to $4,000, 100, with higher
wages and relative decrease of ex-
penses. The fare is one cent for sic
males.
In Belgium the government owns
the railroads and charges about one
cent a mile. The wages have been
doubled.
In India a splendid railroad system
has been constructed by the govern
ment, with rates in some cases only
One-sirth achdt aCe are charged.
In fact, no country has ever tried
public ownership of railroads without
finding it an enormous advantage over
private railroad companies.
In comparison with all this, read the
disgusting and abominable his tory of
many of the railroads of this country.
Of no Ill ofc
ject is that by the Hon. Thomas V,
vantages of National Ownership of
Railroads." published by the Citizens
Alliance, San Francisco.
The following appeared in the Times
the other day:
"Seventy-One railroads in the United
States went into the hands of receiv-
ers in 1893, being - per cent of the en-
tire railway mileage of this country.
Up to date nearly40 per cent of Ameri-
can railway interests have been over
taken by bankruptcy, and it is notice
able that the bankrupt roads estab-
lished the fortunes Of the Hunting
tons, Stanfords, the Vanderbilts, and
host Of other railway millionaires.
And still people argue that in private
ownership and management of rail-
ways Justice and economy are con-
served!'
There are in this country LOO sep
crate railroad corporations, each with
scores of highly paid officials. Once in
a while they get to fighting one anoth-
er, but, with the exception of these
rare intervals, they are all the time
conspiring with each other to cheat
the public still more. If some railroad