The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-11-07
GOVERNMENT RAILROADS.
NOT SUCCESS IN ACTUAL PRACTICE
ANYWHERE.

The r. suits Not by Any Means Eoocursg-
ine-A Relic OF PaternalIsm Hostile to
Republican Institutions.
The interstate commerce com mnllssion
has been compiling for some time
statement Of the conditions under
which the railroads of the world are
operated. The subject was not sug-
gested by the recent testimony before
the com omission meeting in Chicago.
The labor union men there have testi-
fed their belief that the solution Of the
problem of employer and employed on
the railroad world was the government
control of railroads.
The fscts and the figures which the
interstate commerce commission has
gathered together do not, says the Phil
adelpbia Times, confirm their theory
bv the experience Of other nations.
Even in the United States the expert
ment Of railroads controlled by the
State has been tried In different sec.
tions and has 80 far proved a distinct
failure.
There are only six countries In the
world in which the control Of virtually
all the railroads is IN the hands Of
the state. They are Australasia, the
Cape of Good Hope, Egypt, Nicaragua
Paraguay and Peru-certsinly not
countries after which the United States
would be very much tempted to pat.
tern. But there are some great cou l.
tries In which the state Is part owner
of railroads, and these include Ger
many, France, Denmark, Austrian
Hungary, Belgium, Brazil and Canada.
Eleven countries, or one-half OF those
In which railroads are operated, have
no interest In the operation of the roads
beyond claim for money advanced to
some of them. In two countries rail
roads are owned by the government.
but are leased to private companies,
which operate them.
In Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru,
where there was no inducement for
private capital to invest In railroads,
the governments were obliged to build
what few lines there are, and these are
operated by the government and run
by the government employees. In Aus
tralasia, with the exception of one or
two short lines, the colonial govern
ment have built the roads with money
derived from loans negotiated by agents
general. In Victoria AMI New South
Wales so many abuses grew out Of the
partisan control Of the roads that ten
years ago they we're placed under the
direct management Of non-partisan
commission, which not only directs
their operation, but has charge Of the
construction Of new lines. In Egypt
there are about 1850 miles Of railroads
belonging to the government and two
short lines, which are under private
control. At the Cape of Good Hope
all but about 1870 miles Of lins In Cape
Colony is owned and controlled by the
government.
AGAINST GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
The rates charged on these out-of. the.
way-lines are not fair basis for the
comparison of state. controlled roads
with those which are owned by private
companies or individuals. Yet Joseph
Nimmo, Jr., the statistician, has 1ound
in the Australian roads strong arsu.
ment against government control. His
remarks (Which are not quoted by the
interstate commission are: ."COnstruc
ton of railroads In Australia failed as
q private enterprise. Then each one of
the five colonies took the matter up
separately as governmental enterprises.
Their construction has been a source OF
grave charges Of dishonesty, and their
management subject Of popular com.
plant, especially among the farmers.
Freight charges are much higher on the
Australian railroads than on our Am
erican roads," Marshal M. Kirkman
writes that the experience of Cape Col
ony has be- the same. In order to
get the necessary votes In the assembly
to pass bill authorizing the construc.
tion of meritorious lines, 1t has been
necessary to build other lines, that were
not required and will not pay It,"
The condition Of affairs finds paral.
lei in the American congress IN the
matter OF river and harbor improve.
ments, for the river and harbor bill Is
notoriously a "log-rollsd" measure.
The result of the construction Of non.
paying lines In English South Africa,
Mr.. Kirkman says, is that high freight
rates are charged on the good lines to
make up for losses on the poor lines,
and this has acted as a prohibition on
every industry except diamond and
gold mining, and sheep and ostrich
farming. Private railway lines are for
bidden in Cape Colony because their
competition with the government roads
would be fatal TO the latter.
Even In Germany the government
found 1T necessary to buy up many
private roads because their competition
was ruinous. Ninety per cent OF the
mileage IN Germany Is owned BY the
government, and under the law the
government is required to manage the
roads as 8 single system In the interest
OF general traffic. The government
may cause the construction and equip.
ment of roads and enforce uniform
traffic and polio regulations; and even
the few private railways are under the
control of state boards, and their maxi
mum rates are fixed in their charters.
Although Germany's government
methods are so admirable In many re.
spects the experience of the people of
that country with government control
of railroads has been encouraging. In.
stead of operating the roads in the In
terest Of the people, the government
uses them as q source of revenue and
power, and the rates charged are higher
than those which are charged In the
United States, while the rules OF the
road are much more burdensome
TOO MUCH RED TAPE.
An oft-repeated story of Chauncy
DepeW illustrates the red tape Of Ger
man railroad management. A party of
young Americans ran after a moving
train to card 1t. The official OF the
platform called to them to stop. They
ran on and boarded the train. At the