The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-11-07
:ision of railroad rates. and bH this Ia n


the roads were TO belong to the govern
ment IN about one hundred years. Un.
Ger 8 law passed in 1898 the government
virtually went out OF railroad building
but the private companies which con
struct these roads are required to ad'
vance the amount of money which the
state would have contributed to the
construction fund under the old law
and this money is to be paid gradually
by the state within the time when prl'
vate ownership will cease and the roads
will revert to toe state. By the middle
OF the Dext century France wal own al.
of the French roads, unless neW sys
tenn Is adopted in the meantime. Un.
der this government supervision ano
half control passenger rates are almost
double those of the United States, and
freight rates are more than twlre as
great.
The conservatism Of France in the
introduction of Improvements is
matter of comment among American
travellers. The same is true of other
countries where the governGen exer.
cises general or partial control. lu
Belgium about four-ffths OF the mile
age is owned By the State, and the re-
naming one fifth will revert to the
government after a period Of years.
Railway affairs are administered bV
department of railways, post offices
sDd telegrsphs. Rates Are fixed by
Law. The railroads are exempt from
taxation. The Belgtan system was to
have been model for the governments
of the world, and at first 1t Ess un'
Questionably excellent. But the dispo,
sltion Of government departments to
stick to old methods,so we'll illustrated
in the departments at Washington
where for the first time in century
the red tars in the accounting oEces
has been shortened recently by a con-
gressional commission. kept the Bel
GUM railroads at standstill when all
the world was constantly adopting
new Improvements and recent devices
The Belgium roads, together, therefore
are monuments to old-fogyism. The
rates of passenger fare charged, how
ever, are very little higher than those
of the United States. and the freight
rates are only little more than 30 per
cent. higher.
Ia Russia about one.third OF the
miiesge Is owned and operated by the
State. and some of the private lines
have received government aid. A
tariff council" supervises rates for al
lines, and no rate can be changed with
out the sanction of this council. In
Russia as in Japan [where twe-thirds
of the mileage is owned by the govern
me0t,) the State undertakes to say
whether proposed private line is
needed. Ia fact, there is no free right
of way in anY country but the United
States. Iu Aus5ria-Hungary one-half
of the railroads are owned by the gov
ernment, but all prlvate charters ex-
pire at 8 stipulated time, not exceeding
q period Of ninety years, and at that
time all lines, lands and buildings re-
vert to the State. The government
fixes the tariffs for its own lines and
revises the tariffs OF private lines every
three years, and can reduce rates II tie
net earnings exceed Is per cent.
Transportation charges IN Russia are
10 per cent. higher than in America.
In Austria the passenger rates are
.bouU 50 per cent. higher than III
America, and the freight rates more
than double az much. The passenger
rates in Spain and Portugal are about
what they are II Russia.Al of the roads
in these countries are private property
but most of them have been aided by
the government on condition that they
become the property OF the State with
in ninety-nine years.
ITALY FINDS IT A FAILURE.
In two countries-Eolland and Italy
the government owns d part OF the
mileage but leases its shar9 to private
corporations. Italy has tried State
railroads and private railroads and al
most every relation bsGween the State
snd individuals in the management Of
the roads which could be suggested.
The whole subject was investigated by
a commission iC 1878 and this commits
sion reported adversely to State man
agement. in leasing It's lines in 1885
to private parties for a term of sixty
years, the Italian government summed
up the situation thus: 1t is a mistake
TO expect lower rates and better facilt-
ties from government than from prl-
vate companies: The actual results
are just the reverse. The State is more
apt to tax industry than to foster it,
and when it attempts to tax industry
it is even less resposlble than private
company. State mansgenesnt is more
costly than private management.
Much capital is thus wasted. State
manasemsnt is demoraliZing both to
legitimate business and politics" Italy
had one unique experience during the
period of government control. One of
its provinces, omoardy, found 1t nee
essary to suspend freight service be-
cause of lack of ability OF those in
charge to handle it.
10 Great Britain and Ireland, as In
the United States, none OF the roads
are owned by the government; but IL
the British Isles no lines may be con.
structed without permission from par
Lament. A law Was passed IN 1874
giving the government the right TO
acquire railroads constructed after that
date st a computation value based on
pro6tss but commission appointed IN
1887 reported that 1t Was lnexpeolent
go subvert the policy which has hlth-
erto been adopted of leaving the con-
struction and management OF railroads
to the free enterprise Of the people, an
der such conditions as parliament may
think best to impose tor the general
welfare of the public" The board of
trade has supervision of the manage
ment of the roads in certain respects,
and there is a law governing rates
something like our interstate commerce
law.
It is not generally remembered that
the United States has made expert
ments in the State ownership OF rail-
roads. Ktrkman, in his book on gov.
ernment control, says: Government
ownership has been tried in limited
way in the United States. Fifty years
ago the State of Illinois constructed a
road at a cost of 81 ,0OO,but disposed
OF 1t later for 100000. Indiana had a
similar experience. Georgia owns a
railroad. but has found it expedient to
lease it to private parties. Pennsylva-
MIA constructed a railroad from Pnlla-
delphis to Columbia, but subsequently
col6 ;t for tho raaSS0 that the rom m on I.