The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-04-17
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP,

Would be LOwer--Stock Watered
More Than Double its Value
in Some Cases.
In these days of trust and consolida-
tlon, strikes and cut downs, between
labor and railroads, it may be interest
ing to note what has and could be done
to remedy these. We never hear of
any strikes, cut-downs or labor troubles
on the railroads of Australia. and WHY 2
Because the government owns and
operates them for the benefit of all
people.
In Australia you can ride distance
OF 1000 miles across the country for
50 so, first class, too, while working
men can ride six miles for Q cents, IL
miles for 4 cents, 80 miles for 10 cents,
ETC., and workingmen receive 25 to 80
per cent. more wages, for eight hours
labor than are paid in this country for
10 hours.
In Victoria, where the above rates
prevail, the net income from the roads
last year was sufficient to pay all the
federal taxes.
In Hungary, where the roads are
state owned, you can ride miles for
cent, and since the government bought
the roads wages have doubled Belgium
tells the same story. Fares and freight
have been cut down one half, and wages
doubled. Yet the roads pay yearly
roUpnuo fO orOuorD1oov,E OE eA OOO OOO
In Germany you can ride four miles
for cent on the government owned
lines. Yet wages are 123 per cent.
higher than they were when the private
corporations owned them, and during
the last 10 years the net profits have
increased Al per cent. Last year the
roads paid the German government a
net profit of $25, ,OOO, 600. Workingmen
and farmers, If you like such rates as
these, vote for them.
|, If our government owred the rail
roads, we could go to San Francisco
from Boston for $40. Look at the
proof.
Uncle Sam pays the railroads not
quite 1915 TO transport a loaded postal
Car from Boston TO San Francisco. A
passenger car will carry 50 passengers,
which at $40 each, would be $500, or a
clear profit of 1925 per car; and this,
too, is after paying 81 per cent. upon
watered stock, which is fully 10 per
cent. on the cost of the roads.
Railroads have grabbed from the peO
pie 2Sl, ,O0O, 600 acres of our best lands
during the past 80 years, and millions
upon millions of dollars have been
given to these same roads. They are
capitalized at tPresentat$ $40, 900, 600 600;
they have cost quite 81, 600, 100000.
To show how our railroads have
watered their stock, point to the N.
Y. O. & II. r. r R, which, when the
VanderbilIs obtained control in 1869,
was capitalized at $49, 900, 900. They
at once watered it up to $50 600, 900
More water" has been added, until at
present the capital stock"is $146, 900,
600, and all but $45, 900, coo is water.
The Erie road cost a trife over $50,
o. O,OOO It's capital is $3.50, 601 600, yet
the people pay large dividends upon
all those watered stocks.
There is only one solution against
these mighty evils, and that is gOUer11
nue1t ownership, and to get that re
form party will have to be placed in
power at Washington.
To illustrate how the railroads charge
all the traffic will bear, point to
Florida, where only last March a
freight train from that sunny cline
haG, among other freight, three loaded
cars of potatoes, cabbages and straw
berries, respectively, the charges for
freight to New York on each car being
as follows: Potatoes, $50; cabbages,
S55; strawberries, 81, 1,O8O. The leaders
of the two old parties are pledged to
continue the present system, and as
long as they can diUide the labor cote
they are safe.
Government ownership would save
the people the gigantic sum of $500,
OOO, 600 a year and bring an end to rail
road strikes and an eight-hour work
day for the 700, 600 railroad employees.
r @. r Gordon. Manchester, ~ II
AURORA SUB-ALLIANCE.