The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-16
 RUSSIA'S COMMERCIAL ENTER PRISE.

PRISE.
 The great activity and enterprise
 shown by the Russian government in
 almost every direction, and in it's rail-
 way policy in particular, is more and
 more attracting attention in every
 country. Prince Khilkof the Minister of Ways and Communications, seems
 bent on pushing things along at rap
 i'd rate. It is well known that the
 Trans Siberian Railway owes it rapid growth to his untiring energy, prompted into action by the clear-headed policy of
 the Tsar. But not only is the Russian railway system extended, completed, the cost of great financial sacrifices but the authorities are bent upon having | the best of everything. A similar ten
 dency is also shown i'll a great deal of the industrial plant which is being erect ed in Russia at the present time. In fact, Russia has begun the development i of her industrial resources muct later than other nations, but is now pursuing 1 the policy of starting at least even With older nationsalities, by putting up fac tories equipped with the most modern | tools and adopting the most perfected methods of manufacture.
 This, no doubt, is the wisest course to pursue and will yield in the nearefuture results of which the industrial world at large will be somewhat astonished. In this development Russia is being greatly assisted by American enterprise, and already very large sums are invest ed in the various undertakings. The railways which are being built in al most every corner of this vast empire will no doubt contribute powerfully to the rapid commercial development of the country, all the more because, in many of the provinces, roads and means of communication are of very primi- tive nature. The enormous distances which separate the various commercial centres make p2pid transit very desir- able, if not imperative, and the authori- ties have for number of years given much attention to Improvements in the freight service. Commissioners have been sent out to various countries to study the methods of more experienced nations. The methods followed in the United States were followed with especial attention, more particularly in regard to the use of continuous air brakes on good trains.
 To the outsider it has always appear ed illogical that in Europe passenger trains should invariably be so equipped, while freight trains has, no doubt been beneficial and reduced the number of accidents, but any one who studies the question will notice that almost every week there are serious accidents due to freight trains being unable to stop in time, or to parts breaking away on in cines The Russian Government. which has, for a number of years, used air brakes on it's passenger trains, has de cided to provide it's freight and military trains with the same appliance, thus enabling them to increase speed and safety simultaneously. A few months ago mention was made in these columns that beginning had been made in that direction by giving the Westinghouse Brake Company a contract for several million rubleS for freight brakes, but the matter has been carried an import ant step further. The official journal of the Ministry of Ways and Communca- tions now contains a ministerial order to all Russian railway companies (pri- vate railways as we'll as the state rail ways) to equip the freight rolling stock which runs in direct traffic with the Westinghouse quick acting brake in four years from January 1899. Russia will thus be the first country in Europe which will use contiuous air-brakes for it's freight and military trains The Russian Westinghouse Company, which 1 works under the general management | of MT. A. Kapteyn of London, has erect | ed a fine factory in St. Petersburg, equipped with all the best tools and l appliances. A large foundry is now be- | ing added to this factory in order to in- | sure the quality of the castings and malleable iron fittings.
 The Westinghouse brake, which has | been adopted in so many countries and | which is well-nigh universal on the | continents, seems to be so far the only | system which is practicable on long freight trains And although the ex- pense of installing it is considerab ble, still, important advantages are secured | by its use in the way of increased speed ana security, while It realizes nOta- ble economy in the cost of maintenance of rolling stock, and last, but not least in the reduction of the number of | on the train. Commercially, therefore, as American exerience has long since shown, the expense of equip ping freight trains with air-brakes should not stand in the way of this valuable improvement in railway prac- tice Most elaborate technical instruct ions have been published in the official of the Ministry of Ways and according to which it is calculated that 12,000 engines and 300,000 freight cars are to be fitted with the new brake; 20 per cent of the latter are to be equipped with complete Vest Inghouse apparatus and the rest with pipes.-London Times