The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-20

OF RAILROADS.
Ripley'S Letter on GOy-
ernment Control.
NOT FOR PUBLIC GOOD.
Immense Fled Open to Spoilsmen
Through Principle.
NOT FOR PUBLIC GOOD.
RATES WOULD BE INCREASED.

Chicago, Jan. 2o-President Ripley oi
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
road has written letter to the editor oi
. Kansas Populist paper, replying to
communication published in that paper
citing the number of people killed by the
railroads of the United States as
reason why the railroads should be put
under government control. Mr.. Ripley
points out that the railways carry the
whole population of Kansas two and
half times over before one passenger is
killed: that last year the trains on the
railways in Kansas ran over 100000
miles, yet only one employees life was
sacrificed for every 431 900 miles. OF
4406 others killed in the United states in
1896, the reports show that SSH were
trespassers, that Is TO say. out of every
22 persons killed 10 were killed because
they were breaking the law.
Coming to the question of ownership
he says that 10 himself and other rail.
road officers II Is a matter of entire in.
difference. Next comes the question
whether or not the owners of railroads
are opposed TO government ownership
and he points out that the strongest plea
made in behalf OF government ownership
is that OF II. b. Blackstone, president OF
the Chicago and Alton, who urged it as
a matter Of justice TO the railway in
vestors. There is no holder of railway
securities, he says, who does not believe
that those securities would be advanced
In value If there was any prospect of the
government buying them.
Mr.. Ripley says that If he is opposed
to government ownership il is not as a
railway man, but as a citizen. 1t is easy
to talk, he says, Of the government Civ.
ing hsfter service, employing more men
lowering rates and still making money
"As matter of fact. government man.
agement OF anything never was, never
can be as economical as private man.
agement, and 10 earn the interest on its
investment (S6.000, 900 TO $4,000. 000) the
government would have to increase the
rates for service, as has been done on
the government owned lines OF Aus.
tralia; cheaper the service, employ fewer
men and let things generally get into
disrepair, as has been done on the gov.
ernment owned lines of Italy, or face an
annual deficit and rely on taxation &c
make up the deficit, as has been done or
the government owned lines In India"
The most serious considerations are
however. Mr.. Ripley says. political ones
There are S50,0O0 railway employees in
the United States. Under government
ownership. each of these would be po.
litical appointee. This. he SAYS woulc
not only lower the character Of the ser
vice, but would be appalling in the tre-
mendous political supremacy which
those $4,000 employees would give 10 the
party in power. Worse still would be
the political results OF the contracts for
the construction OF new lines, etc. The
scandals and jobbery of the river and
harbor appropriations or OF the tariff
bill would be nothing compared to the
field which would be open to the spoils-
men by the railways. The building of
new lines would depend entirely en- po-
litical pull Districts or states of a po-
liticaI complexion opposed To that OF the
party in power would have to wait till
the crack OF doom for any new lines. and
in districts where the friends of the ad-
ministration came from there would be
lines as thick as stripes on a cats back"