Morning journal and courier., 1894-03-16
RAILROAD PRoBLEms.

Professor Hadley speaks Before the
 Y. M. [. A. and Advocates Plan of
 Publicity and Responsibility In the
 Management of Railroads.
 Professor Arthur T. Hadley of Yale uni vsrsity delivered lecture before fair d1ed audience at the Y. N. O. A. building last evening on ''Rsilroad Problems."
 He said that the railroads are a monopo- dstic power and that the tendency was continually to raise the rates, but that on the whole money invested in railroads pays less interest on the investment than money placed in real estate or nearly any other kind of property. The corpora Hons arc generally managed in the inter- ct of few. rather than to the advantage of the mass of investors.
 Continuing, he said: "The question
 then arises concerning the government ownsrship and control of railroads. I pre- sume that there is at least one in this room who is an advocate of that theory. It might work very we'll if we were sure that politicians wo11d work for the interests of the people whom they represent. But as e mattsy of fact we know that the profes- sional politicians are working for their own interests more than any one else's and the danger of corrupt management would be even greater than If owned by private persons. For politicians are much freer in handling other peoples money than busi- ness men are in handling their own. "A somewhat more feasible plan would be to have the government control the | rates But what seems to me to be bet | ter plan is that of publicity of the busi- ness done, and making every man, or ofh- | cial, responsible to the state for the man. l agement of the roads. In this way you ! largely avoid the dangers connected with | government ownership and restrict private ownership"
 A short discussion followed. One gen. ! tleman asked why the people (meanipg the l governmen) could not maintain their rail roads as we'll as Q postal system. Professor Hadley replied that he paid about $50 per | year for his postage, yet he did not get his | letters until about 0:3O in the morning, living as he does within half 6 mile from | the postofice. "If the railroads should give such service as that" said he, ''the | people would be up in arms in minute | believe that . private corporation would furnish us better and cheaper service. don't believe that the postal service is man l aged on the best and soundest business | principles"
 It was then asked If there were any | places where the government owned the | railroads. Professor HadleY answered ths, the system of government railroads wal
 strongest in Germany. Here it is possible to obtain better class of talent, because
 1t is the ambition of all the young German
 men to be in the employ of the govern.
 ment. The system is in vogue on tn, | whole in Russia, Australia and British
 India. In England, America and France
 there is private ownership, although 1T
 France 1t is about midway between thu two.
 "If the people were allowed to fix thu
 rates, they would probably be low, al
 though 1t would probably vary in diffsren
 states. did not mean to shut out thu
 government authority entirely. But
 consider the judicial enforcement of re
 sponsibility by the courts batter than leg
 islative prescribing what must be done."