The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19
RAILRoADlNG IN GERMANY.
eject OF NATIONAL CONTROL OF
STEAM HIGHWAYS.

the transformation. of Rates
and Accommodations With Those
finished in This Country.
r,rrsspondence of the Chicago Record.
,.riin Aug. 23-Germany has more
-, of railway than any other country
- europe. her total being 2S,2S7, of which
"aoa belong TO private parties, the re-
irder 10 the government. There are
~, 900 miles now under construction,
ati,b will be open to traffic during the
...ssnt wear. Russia has 1900 miles of
France 25.OOQ Great Britain and Ire
'sr3 81 600. Austria $4,000, Italy 5000, Spain
.,o The total length of railways in Eu-
r,oe is Isl. l4O miles.
bismarck is responsible for the nation
citation" of the railways of Germany.
orginally the construction and manage
1.rr of transportation lines was left to
rrirste capital, the state reserving the
-,, If control and taxation. In order to
..,,rs the construction of railways ting
--.rs required for military purposes ratPr
's.o for commecce the government Uau-
ID 81 system of subsidies and gu4ran-
.,.s Of interest to investors, and an ten
,..ors from 1866 to 1876, more thtn $zOV'-
S6no was voted in this way.
several roads were also built ~ the i'm
-.ri., government and others bF the states
and KINGDOMS that compose The empire.
e,,,a or these we're operated " the crown,
.tbers were leased to private corporations.
V,,st of them were short ines, and their
-,,,Itin,cation was so RAPID that in 1876
.1ore we're sixty-three independent corpor-
lions oDerating railways in the German
1r,rire each having a5different tariff and
~, of managemelt, several of them
If different gauge. No attempt mad oeen
node to secure corrections or provide Tor
,ra convenience of the public. travellers
lliO sometimes subjected to seven or
eight changes in crossing tne elipne 80
go 60 rains did moi run in connection, long
-, and much inconvenience were the
rule. $50, 81 eoonre uni
It fl, mana cement for the conven-
100 of the travelling public. The next
s.aT Was ia formulate regulations In re-
oar5 IN speed and rates of charges, and
commission vas appointed Slmllar 10 the
Interstate commerce commission IN the
T~pitp1 states, Two years lclACA liz ANNASAA
s,a, nassed law comforting far-reaching
s',t7 upon the several states over
tbair svstems. but so much difficulty was
f91nd in its enforcement that in 1876 the
control Of the railways in the several
kingdoms and principalities in Germany
was transferred to the imperial govern
,,-0+ an the pretext of military defense
and economical management. Bismarck
had taken the ground all along that the
government should not only control put
own the railways, and declared his beliet
IN the socialistic principle that transpor-
tation lines and all other public improve
rnents should not be maintained for
proft. but solely for the convenience of
tbe people, and should be relieved entire
" from private control He argued that
Capitalization would result in lower tar
ifs and better conveniences for the public
and more economical management for the
road. His ideas were at first denounced
as revolutionary, but public opinion came
gradually to indorse them, until finally, in
1888 nearly all the railways In Germany
were brought within the ownership of the
state and as result the treasures of the
kingdoms have received many millions of
marks which otherwise would have been
distributed in dividends to private capital.
The railway management of the govern
ment in Germany is very economical in
some respects and very extravaganza In
others particularly in the way of construc-
ton. The stations are magnificent struc-
lures all through the empire, That at
Frankfort cost 100000 marks and is the
finest IN the world In Dresden is another
almost as good, and wherever you go you
will find the railway depots, like all other
public buildings, orna ments to the towns.
Their designs are in the highest order of
architecture; THEN facades are embellish-
ed with statues of an appropriate charac-
ter, carved in granite or marble or cast IN
bronze. Mr.. Chauncey NJ. Depew was con-
templatng the grandeur of the Frankfort
station one day, when some one asked him
why the railway companies of America did
not erect such depots,
Because the travelling public would pre-
fer to have the money spent in the com
Portable trains and in speed" he replied
"A traveller remains in railway station
but few minutes. He buys his ticket,
checks his baggage and passes through the
gate. He is often in a railway train all day
and all night, and sometimes several days
and nights in succession, and then he APP
preciates the luxuries afforded by the
American railways He would rather have
a comfortable sleeping car or paTlor car
and ride fifty miles an hour into dilapi-
GATED old wooden depot than ride fifteen
miles an hour in an uncomfortable car and
have handsome bronze and mai BILE statues
10 look a on top of the railway station
When he arrives at his destination"
Mr.. Depew described the situation in
Germany exactly. The railways have
splendid roadbeds; their bridges never col
lapse and never burn. They are built to
last for centuries, and the tracks are often
Aned with trees; but the day cars are al
ways uncomfortable, the sleeping cars are
almost intolerable, and the rate of travel
Is So slow as to be far from satisfactory
10 one who is accustomed to travel In
tae United States Some time ago the
herman government sent commissioners
10 Inc United States to investigate the
railways They have made am elaborate
ispoft recommending many changes of
importance in management and equip
nlent' but none of their suggestions have
uls Tar been adopted, and it is not prob
@Me mat they will be. 1t is argued In
oelehse of the present system that such
ecoh9mv is an advantage, both to the gov
81 HN. II and the people, because it en-
11les the latter to travel at low fares and
Di"ss the former a revenue sufficient to
KY the expenses of maintenance and for
ne cons ,ructlon of new lines.
nut a comparison of rates shows that
ooon"ay travel in the United States is
80 as cheap as in Germany or other Eu
l9psah countries, without taking time and
,o.'ort into consideration. The regular
'S Tor fast trains in GERMANY is IA