The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-10-11
PARTY DESPOYISM

lAkll DEAfUllON|
Would Be the Outcome Of Govern
ment Ownership Of Railways
Party Politics and the Clvi
Service Must BE Permanent,
Divorced Before the United
States Tries the World Wide
Failure of Running Railroads
It has been shown that the acquisition
of the railroads of the United States BY
the government cannot be accomplished
by any means now within our kn0wl
edge. It has been shown that the pol
icy of government ownership has beer
very generally tried; that u he bsss
in operation In the older countsiee q
the world through . long ssries q
years; that the most prosrsssivs c0an'
tries and especially those In which -
form of government 10 most liberal A.
the people enjoy the greatest fresden,
are those in which railroads arc wholly
under private control;
And that the Populist scheme % COVERS,
ment ownership h borrowed freA Eus6.
pean despotisms.
1t has been shown. by figures gath
cred from the statistics Of all countries
in the world that the cost 81 operation
and the charges for freight and pasoen.
ger service are greatest In The countries
where the railroads are operated ~ ths
state. 1t should be added 20 this, chat
an examination Of the colnps2ati
efficiency of the railroad servics proved
that it is no where so generally unsatts.
factory as where the government q
master.
There is no country on the globe
where railroads are 30 quick to provide
themselves with the latest and best Inn.
provements and where the comfort Of
the public is so carefully studied and
its complaints treated with a. much
Difference as in the United States. -
Where state ownership prevails, .
certain standard is set up, as In the case
of our own postoffics facilities, and to
that the public must conform. Protest
and petition are alike unavailing whom
addressed to great governmental ma
chine.
Where, on the contrary, the railroads
are operated by private companies,
competing eagerly for the public favor.
each leaves nothing untried to conn
mend itself, and the service is rapidly
elevated to the highest degree Of efac.
iency.
No one whohas travelled on the rail.
ways Of the continent Of Epfapesof
even ON those of Great Britains can
compare their service with that given
in the United States without acknowl.
edging the great superiority Of the lat
ter. The cheapest is also the best.
Rates Become Lower. Service Becomes
Better.
Moreover, this cheapening process is
q continuous one. Through good times
and though hard times it goes on,
forced along by the sire luous competi-
ton of rival companies and the multi.
plication of new processes of economy.
The cost of carrying a passenger one
mile has declined nearly OF Of cent in
the last five years and that Of carrying
q ton of freight one mile has fallen
nearly ,05 Of q cent in the same period.
Apply even these small reductions to
the billions of the people and the tens
of billions of tons of freight moved one
mile each year, and we have a saving
of money to the people amounting TO q
good share of the national debt every
year.
There are only two countries in the
world where state railroads have been
successful. and the coudi-
lions prevailing in themgive en- OK.
PLANTATION of the fact.
These countries are Prussia and Bel.
GUM.
The former has an area Of iSA, 600
square miles. or something Les tAaa
Montana, and . population Of over o..
0O0, 200.
sonara , .asss' :. as shs ~ - =. M s..e
,en a ena pbo ~ 1s,.us HuA 9 100
is a little less than 8. SOC. 600, o. aboua
aud the two DoLotas
II is wei, Lnown hx 49,.
had any experience in the railway husi.
ness that these are the conditions undee.
which railroads become profitable. Win.
out reference to their management
A very heavy population, condensed
within very small area. assurse tAs
very largest possible patFanage and
reyenue IN proportion to mileage and
cost OF operation.
1t is the familiar rule that governs
all operations of trade. The larger tho
business that il to be done with given
amount OF machinery, the smaller the
cost of each item Of it, and tho greater
the net profit.
The conditions In the United States
are not only different from Theses butl
they are exactly opposite. We have
here comparatively sparse population,
10 % served py roads that extend Tor
.u u Mlies through 2 country
INA. con.lipH.ss AFt1e OF noshing to
'neir business. - = -
That we have been able, under these
conditions, to even reduce our railway
oharges to the level OF those imposed in
plaer countries Is remarkable tribute
70 the excellence OF our system. -,
Serious Question Of Providing For Opsrae-
ing and Fixed Charxss. 49, e