The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-14

Depew's Plea for Private Ownership
of Railroads.

r how fortunes are made" makes irequeht
trips TO Europe in the interests OF private
corporations, and, il Is said, draws ior
his services the modest little sum OF
$4,000 per annum.
When he declares his belief that govern
ment should not own nor exercise con-
troll OF railroads further than to create
commissions for the prompt and efhcient
disposition of grievances and enforcement
OF law, one is reminded of the old adage:
GAS the twig is bent the trees inclined"
The most weighty reason he puts forth
in he negative is the supposition OF con-
! troll from Washington, and consequent
inability OF the people TO dislodge the
party in power except by revolution, on
account of the patronage controlled; the
location here named not designating the
national capital as a center OF business
direction, but referring to the political
camp in which the ascendant party holds
| forth, which, he thinks, would use 1T for
! permanently securing It's position.
A national railroad system once estab-
lished, the people would prevent any in
terference by politicians for party pur-
| poses, for every individual being directly
Dterested, and their welfare at stal Q
would demand an uninterrupted service
| free from embarrassments OF partisan
strife, and they would accept nothing less
in national railway service than
what they receive In the working OF
the postofiice department, the largest
business enterprise upon the face OF the
earth conducted wholly for the peoples
| convenience, and which renders services
large, reliable and prompt for the indi-
vidual for a very small sum of money, and
| so successf fully that it establishes the GER
tainty that passenger and merchandise
transportation system can be organized
by the Government that will render for
the people services equally as good and
cheap.
Mr.. Depew advances few reasons of value
against Government ownership OF rail-
roads.
lie says,"if railroad science had attained
its ultimate development ii is possible
that Government might manage the rail-
ways successfully; an admission upon
his part that, outside OF his claim that
through want of competition it would not
keep abreast OF the latest improvements,
il could manage them in business-like
way.
AS "what might have been" in the alb
sence OF private competition, he cites the
miserable compartment cars with their
lack of toilet rooms existing in dull and
backward countries, whose despotic gov
ernments think anything is good enough
for their serfs, but he does not impose
upon our ignorance when we consider
the fact that the open saloon car
existed In this country be-
fore railroad competition began,
and that there is no danger of our being
placed in small compartments with a
lunatic or a murderer, or q thief or his
| IN 4 ha atf
tion of Others in the car to their acts, or
that people will allow any want pertaining
to their health to go unheeded.
Mr.. Depew dwells upon the fact that
government lines in the old world only
carry 80 pounds of baggage, while in tnis
country $50 is allowed.
Magnifying little side issues into great
objections against Government control, he
should, in all fairness, apologize for the
little games OF extortion practiced along
American roads where the traveller pauses
for mouthful OF sustenance from the
monopoly established restaurant, and in
the assessing of those who do not take
their trunk or valise from the baggage
room within "a hours after arrival 25
cents for the hrst and 10 cents for
each succeeding day, denying the
owwner the privilege Of stopping the
daily increasing bill until he has the
money to plank down. II Mr.. Depew's
trihes are reasons against, these are rea-
sons for Government control, as many
will swear who have been robbed by these
schemes of a number Of dollars while
waiting for money, or have felt compelled
to abandon their property to the rapacity
of the greedy corporation.
| As to serving the "dear public" 80 lib
always moved as their interests advised,
or as an indignant public resorting to
legal compulsion made them, resisting
even that TO the last extremity. A single
instance may be recalled of the arrest and
threatened incarceration in Jail OF
several directors OF that railroad
that enters New York City
through the tunnel, they only consenting
to spend few thousand dollars in light
ing that dark way after the burning of the
human beings in the dark passages where
the engineers could not see the signals.
Nor has the private corporation given us,
even Through competition" such su-
perior accommodations as to warrant the
conclusion that under Government control
they would not have been as good. Our
postofiices in our largo cities are gen.
orally superior TO the railroad depots,
while those depots along the general lines
might be mistaken for those accommoda-
tions where Mr.. Depew says the lady was
locked in until after the train departed.
The cars upon our roads are not so expen-
sive as the carriages used by our private
citizens when proportioned to their carry
ing capacity and employment.
The holder of q iirst-class ticket
still finds himself buddled into cars which
are but little better than those in use one
| third OF century ago. while those who
are looking for improved conditions are
told they must pay heavier assessment,
| the call for better accommodations being
| met 10y the creation OF a new class with
| increased fares.
| Mr.. Depew's assertion that individuals
would have hard times in getting settle-
ments for damages or injuries under a
government system, virtually being
| obliged to sue the Government, meets its
| fitting answer that the power that estab-