Evening star., 1896-11-07

pass over the road by the payment or a
certain fee. That is precisely the system
I propose for freight and passenger traffic
on the railroads after the lines are ac-
quired by the government.
The Rate of Tolls.
"The tolls continued the Senator,
"shoud be fixed at so low rate as to
produce just enough revenue for the ex-
penses Of direction and the keeping of the
roadbed, tracks, stations and other proper
ty pertaining to the roads a perfect
state of repair and efficiency. OF course,
there should be a sufficient surplus over
operating expenses to maintain a fund for
new bridges or stations on roads already
built, and some provision might also be
n. ade for the construction of new lines.
The railroad system Of the entire
country should be cut up into zones and
divisions The best qualified men should
be employed by the government as man
ayers and Superintendents, at fixed salaries,
and their tenure should be during good
behavior. Promotion should be made in
the order of merit and achievement only
ard there should be special rewards in the
way of promotions for those who have
succeeded in avoiding accidents. The force
required to keep the roads in order, to
collect the tolls and to dispatch the trains
would be comparatively small, as the
greatest demand for men is in the train
service for engineers, firemen. brakemen.
conductors, etc, and these men would not
be in the government service at all.
THE train service, under this system
whether for passengers or freight, would
be entirely in the hands of the people
Thus firSt-clasS engineer, a conductor
and a brakeman would be at liberty to
run a train of their own over any line in
the country, under the conditions laid down
by the government. All they would have to
do would be to arrange for running time
with the proper authorities and pay the
tolls fixed by law.
Run Their Own Trains.
"The project opens up boundless possibil-
tiles that are absolutely bewildering to a
man with a grain of imagination, or ca
pacity for seeing beyond the horizon of
established custom. AS no request to run
train for lawful purposes could be denied
the farmers of a given locality, who are
now shut out Of the markets by high freight
rates, could hire or buy few cars and an
er gine and go themselves with their cattle
or grain to the best market. The manufac-
turer could do the same thing while the
pleasure seeker might visit every section
of the continent, with every luxury, for
what 1t now costs him to go from New
York to San Francisco"
But would not the people who now own
and control the cars and locomotives mo-
nopolize the traffic as at present?"
There would be no danger of that, first
because the skilled men would not run
trains for others when they had the op-
portunity to conduct more profitable bust
ness for themselves; and, second, because
the great organic change affected in the
whole business Of carrying freight and pas
sengers would not appeal to those now in
control, as the present system does. There
would be absolutely free competition
when you come to think of it. what "a
really known by the men who own the rail-
roads about the actual operation of the
many thousands Of miles of railroad which
they nominally control? What can they
know of the time schedules, the dispatching
and running Of trains the colIactio,, ~
freight and its delivery at its various des-
tinations?
"All these departments are under the d.
rect supervision of employees, who do the
actual work of carrying on the business of
the roads.
Result of Free Competition.
''If my plan is adopted 1.-The common car
riers of this country will be the men who
actually do the work, and who would take
personal pride in making all classes of
transportation as SAFE, expeditions. as
cheap and as comfortable as possible.
1T would be the duty Of the government
to maintain the integrity of the various
roadbeds and bridges, regardless of the
profits paid by any line; as there would
be free and open competition. legislation
would not be necessary to induce the adon-
ton of decent and safe systems of HIGHT
ing, heating and brakes on trains. and
there would be an end to the working of
men beyond their endurance.
Il believe, further, that free competition
would bring about the Introduction of
sleeping cars on all night trains 50 that
passengers would no longer be obliged to
sit or recline In cramped positions when
they ought to be resting as comfortably
as If they were at home. You see, the
various carriers would vie with one an
other In giving the best possible accom-
modatiens, day and hight. to all thejr