Evening journal., 1898-01-20
RAILROAD CONTROL.
President Ripley Replies to
Editor Of Populist Paper.
OPPOSES GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
Claims Private Management More Eco
nomIcai-AIso Urges Political Rea-
sons--DIstrIcts Opposed TO Party
In Power Would Suffer.

CHICAGO Jan. 2O.-President Ripley
Of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
has written a letter TO the editor Of
Kansas Populist paper replying to a
communication published in that paper
citing the number of people killed by
the railroads of the United States as a
reason why the railroads should be put
under government control. Mr.. Ripley
points out that the railways carry the
whole population OF the state of Kansas
two and a 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 em-
ployee's life was sacrificed for every
43l 600 miles. OF 4.406 others killed in
the United States I'm 1896, the reports
show that 3,S11 We're trespassers-that
Is to say out Of every % persons killed
10 were killed because they were break
ing the law.
Coming to the question of ownership.
he says that TO 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 r. b. Blackstone,
president Of the Chicago and Alton,
who urged II as a matter Of Justice to
the railway investors. There Is no
holder of railway securities, according
20 Mr.. Blackstone who does not be-
lieve that those securities would be ad-
vanced in value If there was any pros
pect Of the government buying them.
Mr. Ripley says If he is opposed TO
government ownership it is not as n
railway man, but as a citizen. It is
easy to talk he says, Of the government
giving better Service, employing more
men. lowering rates and still making
money.
"As a matter Of fact" he says. gov
ernment management OF anything new
er was. never can be. as economical as
private management and 20 earn the in
terest on its Investment CSC. 900. 900 900 tc
5000 900 .000) the government would
have TO Increase rates for service, as has
been done on the government owned
lines OF Australia; cheaper the service
employ fewer men and let things gen.
orally get into disrepair. as done on the
government owned lines of Italy, OF
face an annual deficit and rely on tax.
alton to make up the deficit. as don,
on the government owned lines in In
dia."
The most serious considerations are
however Mr. Ripley says. political ones
There are $4,000 railway employees IN
the United States. Under government
ownership each OF these would be q
political appointee. This. he says, would
not only lower the character Of ths
service. but ''would be appalling IN tho
tremendous political supremacy which
those $4,000 employees would give L
the party in power"
Worse STILL" he continues, "woult
be the political results OF the contracts
for the construction of new lines etc
The scandals and jobbery Of river AM
harbor appropriations or OF the tarif
legislation would be nothing compares
to the field which would be open I
the spoilsmen by the railways. Tn
building of new lines would depend en-
tirely on political pull Districts o
states of a political complexion oppose
to that OF the party in power woul
have to wait till the crack of doom 70
any new lines. and in districts wher
the friends of the administration cam
from there would be lines as thick a
stripes on a cats back"