Hutchinson gazette., 1900-09-13
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.


For the year ended March 81, 1900,
the total estimated revenues Of Prus-
sia amounted to S5Sl,5sl,s31 Of which
S32l, 10000 came from the stnte rail-
ways The net profits of the street
railways were Sl32,7jg,352. The total
amount raised by direct taxation was
siJ,7s2O5O and by indirect taxation,
Sls,79l,25O, The interest on the entire
public debt, including all money
rnlsed for the purchase OF railroads
and for other purposes, was S50,O9l,-
al. Thus the profits Of the govern
ment railroads paid the interest on
the debt, balanced the whole amount
raised by taxation, direct and Indirect
and left SlO,920,Sil over, which Is more
than three times the cost Of support
ing the king prusslnn kings being
cheaper than our kings OF iinance)'
Prussia has 30,2Gs miles Of govern
ment railroads and 2,aOs belongs TO
private owners, IL Is the policy OF
the government TO acquire the few
remaining lines MS rapidly as possible.
In 1880 ~ companies operated 1874
per cent, OF the trunk line mileage
OF Russia, In 1850 there were only
0 companies, operating 40 per cent.
while the government operated 60 per
cent, or 16,iii miles, The Russian
state railroads, formerly run nj loss,
now bring in profit notwithstand-
ing the fact that the government has
built so many lines for military pur-
poses, without regard TO commercial
consideration.
In Austria proper the government
owns and operates i,7O0 miles OF rail-
rond and operates 1880 miles more
belonging TO private companies. Lines
owned and operated by corporations
amount TO 4,S62 miles. In Hungary
the government operates 4,S76 miles
OF its own and 3,43O miles belonging
to companies, against l,s22 miles
owned and operated by corporations.
In France, most OF the railroads are
run by strictly regulated corpora
tions, but all Of them, by the terms
of their charters, will become the
property Of the nation between 1850
and 1860,
In Italy the government owns 5,GOs
and private companies, 1851. The
state railroads are operated by cor
porations under contract which may
be terminated in 1905.
In Belgium 1000 miles of railroad
are operated by the state and 7Os
miles by corporations.
In the Netherlands there are 06l
miles of public and 761 miles of pri-
vute railroads.
In Switzerland the voters have de
cded by the referendum to acquire
the entire railroad system of the coun-
try
In Sweden the government owns
99s3 miles Of railroad and corpo-
Wtons i,O67 miles,
In Denmark the government owns
9,2S3 miles Of railroad and the cor
porntons 400,
England has private railroads, but
her colonies and dependencies have
gone in for public ownership.
In India only 5000 miles out of go
iO1 belong to private companies, al
though they operate nearly 10000
belonging to the government or ma
tive states.
In every colony OF Australia the
government owns all or most of the
railroads. In New South Wales II
owns the street car lines as well.
In Cape Colony the government
owns 2,3ls miles Of railroad against
$50 miles in private hands, In Nata
the government owns all the railroads
In Japan, Chill, Argentine and
Brazil the railroad systems are divided
between public and private owner
ship.
We have little company in our policy
Of exclusive private control over oul
means of transportation. About the
only countries that go with us OF
that line are England and Spain.
nut when we come to telegraphi
we are more lonesome yet. England
and Spain have their postal systems
So does every country in Europe
every country of Asia of any impor
tance, every colony of note in Africa
= every colony in Australia, and tn,
: principal republics Of America. w,
loom up in solitary grandeur as th
/, only great country in the world tha
) permits u part Of its postal system
to remain in private hands. Ant
Q even we tire operating railroads an'
telegraphs with success in the Phil
b ippnes and telcgraphs in Porto Rice
although we cannot give our own pee
% pie the benefits enjoyed by our "suh
l. iects."
i It is estimated that one years sal
Of ice in New York at reasonabl
% price would pay the whole cost of
> municipal ice plant and leave a SUI
!; plus for something else.
i Some persons who admit that put
: lie ownership would be a good thin
l. in itself ask where the people woul
get all the billions Of dollars needle
to buy out the public utilities nov
h controlled by private monopolies,
3 Bear this in mind; The people ar
n ,,n,,in,r for nl1 thnsa thinOg now.