Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-12-07
AMERICAN RAILROAD RATES.
over Than In Any Other (ouutry
AMI Service Better.

ami Service Better.
Not quite but very nearly one half OF
the railroad mileage of the world is in
North America. If 10 the railroad IN le-
| age of North America be added that o,
Brazil and Argentina, the total viii
exceed the mileage of all the rest OF
the world-Europe. Asia. Africa, Aui-
tralia and the other South Ameri' an
countries included. Mo" rer. raiir1au
building is being carries i much more
rapidly in the United States than else
where. But it is NOT only in respect OF
the extension of their railroad system
that the United States take precedence,
| for some recent computations Stow
that the United States furnish TO trav-
elers and shippers the best service at
| the lowest cost.
In many States Of the country there
are laws fixing the maximum charge
for passengers at cents mile. while
in some European countries, notably
France. the average rate charged Is IN
excess of that figure. The minimum OF
some European countries Is higher than
the maximum allowed in the United
!
referred to the average rate charged
FOR passenger service in the United
States is 215 cents a mile, and the fact
Is that in many Eastern States where
railroad systems have been long esiab-
lishcd. a rate of 112 cents mile is the
general rule. 1t Is Southern ana far
Western railroads chiefly which keep
IN the average rate. In Missouri Tor
instance, cents a mile is lawful
charge. and in Arkansas the maximum
is = cents. Some Colorado railroads
charge O OF cents a mile, and 4 and
cents mile on local traffic in the South
Is not unusual. but. taking the country
| through, the average rate, as stated, 10
2.l5 cents In England. where the ne
chanical obstacles in railroading are
comparatively few. the average rate II
go cents n mile: in Belgium, a country
in which there are practically no
me cha nical obstacles. the rate Is 10
In Germany it is 3.O1 cents, in Austria
Hungary it is 3.O5. in France 1t is o.86
AMI in Spain 1t IS 4.5O.
In no other country in the world are
the facilities for passengers so many
as In the United States, and the In
crease of these facilities and conven-
fences is constant. On many Western
roa ds seats in chair cars, corresponding
with parlor cars on Eastern lines, are
furnished gratuitously. The sleeping
car service is more general and better
in the United States than in any other
country. and light and heat, two essen
! ;ols - do 70
better furnished here than in any other
country.
The freight charges. too, estimated on
the basis of carrying a ton Of freight a
mile are lower here than in other coun-
tries. In England the average rate Is
cents. In Belgium 1t is 1.60, in France
1.56, and in Germany 1.35 cents. In
the United States 1t is O.97 cents, or less
than I cent a mile per ton Of freight
moved. taking the whole country
through. If the average of American
freight rates was as high as 1t is in Ger
many, the people of this country would
have paid the railways last year about
$3.50, ,OOO. 900 more than they did. If the
rates had been as high as they are in
England. the people Of this country
would ha T. paid the railways about
$3.50, ,OOO.0Ov more than they did. An
Illustration of the excellence Of the SER
vice on American railroads is furnished
by the fact that although the collec-
tiOns from freight are larger in Europe
than they are in the United States. and
the number of passengers carried is ma
teIially greater than In this country. the
expense of maintenance of American
railroads is 800. 900 900 more in a year
than for those operated in Europe. And
the American railroad system Is i'm
proving all the time. the freight and
passenger rates are being reduced. and
the Character Of the service g!ven-lux-
urious passenger travel and quick
frelght-is better every year-New
York Sun.