The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-23

car OF Russia is very snowy, but it ia
not near as handsome as some of the
cars in daily service between this CITY
ana Chicago. American cars are the
hrest in the world.
COMPARISON OF RAILWAYS
"A comparison of the railways of the
weird is interesting. American lines
stand first in point of construction
equipment. financial methods and re-
SUITS. The Japanese roads are wau
ana ingeniousiy constructed. b1It tha,,
were quit under the supervision Of
some old-fashioned Englisbmen No
ADVISED Ihat they be built on narrow
guag'e when they could and shonId
nave quilt standard guage. Ina =
conversation with the Japanese min
isls S Oh pubic works on the subject.
ana ne asked how it could be remedie5
lie imagined that to change the eu9Da
would neceSSitate the stoppage OF
every line in the is.unds, but | explain
ed how others managed it, and I he
HeVe they viii soon all be broad guase
roads. In fact, it will soon be neces
sary to change the guage of the jap
aIlese ROADS because the tInffic of the
country is becoming so enormous that
1t cannot be handled with the present
limited facilities.
In Russia there are a few private
lines, but they are all under govern
ment control. The Russian govern
ment fixes time schedules, passenger
and freight mites, and orders what i'm
proVements shall be made from time
10 time. If the government thinks a
line should be extended to a certain
point II orders the company to extend
the road, no matter how Objectionable
II may be to the company But the
companies can afford to do this. Some
OF them earn as much as % per cent
olVroends, and expense attached to an
fSeea fs31o only reduces the dividends
the follow1ng year or two. In the end
Viie ROAD pays as much as formerly.
ONE LINE IN PERSIA.
There is but one short line in Per-
STA, and no one knows who owns If
Russia has until 1900 to name the route
of any road she chooses to construct
through Persia, but she has not vet
availed herself of the privilege
Whether she will do so before the ex-
p1ratton Of her limit Is not known To
she does not some other country NAV
want to run road through Persia
put 1t may then be discovered that
russia controls the situation still One
thing is Certain-Persians never will
build railway. There are some faf1
lines in Turkey and Greece, but the
Italian roads are very slow. No train
In Italy runs faster than eighteen miles
an hour
The most expensive road to travel
on Is the Brindizi line. 1t takes about
three days to run from terminal to ter
mlnal, and the sleeping car fare is S25.
II costs $40 more for meals and about
$40 Tor transportation. None but
wealthy persons. who are not particu-
lar about comfort, travel on that line
During my Investigations I have
mad opportunities to observe the work
ing or government and private rail-
why's, and L am firmly opposed to the
ldea OF government lines Private
roads are invariably operated for less
money and with a stricter regard for
honesty. 1t is impossible for any one
to say what it costs an European gov
eminent to run a road. In Germany.
where nearly all the roads are owned
by the government, the officials will
very politely hand you statement of
the roads financial condition, but there
Will always be something missing. L
40 not believe any official of the gov
eminent can tell what it costs to run
a road. 1t is the same in Russia.
There immense sums disappear entire
~, and interest is regularly mid on
stock of which there is no record.
DISAGREES WITH LONGSTREET.
4 noticed this morning that Gen.
James Longstreet, the United States
railroad commissioner, advocates the
construction Of an air line from coast
to coast by the government to accom-
modnte the increased traffic accruing
by the acquisition of the Hawaiian and
Philippine islands, but disagree with
him. l believe the present transconti-
mental lines can handle the traffic. and
If it becomes too great for them other
lines will be built by private capital
We have had enough of government
railroading, as evidenced by our eXpe-
rience with the Union Pacific and other
lines
There is one thing of interest to
Americans who contemplate entering
Chinese territory. AS 1 said in the be-
ginning, Russian influence dominated
that government. There is a syndicate
in New York which has obtained u.
railway concession from the Chirese
government, but unless it bears the in
dorsement Of Russia it will prove
wort bless"