Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-10-18
DAY COUNTY. SOUTH DAKOTA, OCTOBER Is, 1894
A FINE SPEECH.

PiiniPiOo anu TecOruS alQ
a severe arraignment of the fall
iacles and misrule of democrats and
popullsts. He dwelt at length on
the new tariff bill and severely crit
lcized the vote of senator Kyle.
During the discussion of this topic.
Kelley, of the Herald, had the
audaclty to call in questIan tie
statement that senator Kyle voted
Tor the duty on sugar. The Con-
gresslonal Record was promptly
produced and all present convinced
as to the truth of the speakers
statements. None are so blind as
they who will not see, and Kelley
IS one of them. He knows which
way Kyle voted. 1t would be un-
charitable to say he was SO dull as
to be unable to find the vote and
read it.
Mr.. Sterling dwelt at some length
on the money question; the SUBJ
treasury plank of the populist plat
form, and the transportation ques-
tion as applied to government own.
IersniP Of railways. He quoted some
statistics from the report of the
interstate commission in regard to
the cost of freight and passenger
traffic in the United States and
other countries, and especially
where the railways are operated by
the government.
The interstate commerce commits
sion reports that ten countries do
not own or operate railways, viz:
Columbia, Great Britain and Ire
land, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru,
Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United
States and Uruguay.
The following governments own
and operate some of the railways:
Argentine, Australasia, Austria
Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Canada.
Cape of Good Hope, Chill, Den
mark, France, Germany, Guatemala
India, Japan, Norway, Portugal,
Russia and Sweden.
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.
Though not claimed to be accur-
ate, it is believed that the foregoing
summary represents an approx
mately correct statement of the
relation of the various governments
to the railways of the world.
The relative rates charged for
freight and passenger service on
the government owned roads and
other facts cited in connection with
such roads are calculated to afford
little encouragement to advocates
OF government ownership. A com
parison of passenger charges pei
miles shows an average in Great
Britain of A. AZ cents for first class,
3.20 cents for second class and LA
for third class. In France the av-
erage for first class is $3.50, for sec,
ond class $50 cents and for third
class 2.OS. In Germany the rate
is 40 cents for tirst.class, 1882 for
, second. class and 1.54 cents third
class. In the United States the av-
erage charge is 2.12 cents. The
average charges per ton in Great
Britain are 2.0S cents; IN France,
Q 20 cents; in Germany, Lea cents
and in the United States, / cent.
The interest on capital invested in
the severa! countries is as follows:
United Kingdom, Al per cent;
France. 3.S per cent; Germany, 81
per cent; Russia, 5.3 per cent; Aus
tria, 81 per cent; Belgium, 4.6 per
cent; United States, 81 per cent;
the world, 3.2 per cent.
The systems of operation OF the
railroads in different countries is
indicated: In Austria about 4 per
Scent of the railway mileage is owned
and about 70 per cent is operated
by the state. Upon the expiration
i. If charters, not exceeding 80 years,
the lines, land and buildings of the
companies revert to the government
Init the. equipment remains the
! property of the private owners.
!, BEFORE a railway is opened, IL must
! bc approved by the ministers OIL
commerce. The tariff OF state
] roads are fixed by the government;
thoss of the companies are subject
E E to revision, aud the government
: has power to reduce rates, II the
net earnings exceed 10 per cent on
g the capital. !,
! In Canada, about o%ne,tenth Of
! the mileage of about $4,000 miles =
9 owned and controlled and operated
bv the government. For che year
: 1892 the operation Of the govern
ment lines resulted in aioss Of over
i 5000, 800. 81 ~.
I larger portion (about h'e.s.S'hJ 81
,he French railway system Il oper-
IA nv n~riyate companies, eaci'