The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-07-31
WHERE GOVERNMENT
OWNS THE RAILROADS
The EXAMPLE OF PRUSSIA HAS
MADE THE sYsTEM
POPULAR.
only England and the United States
Eo~ Have Private System Es-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Increase Of
Russian Public Railways.

Consul General Richard Guenther al
Frankfort. Germany. furnishes the
state Department AZ Washington with
the following report Oh Municipal
Railways IN Europe.
Dr.. A. yon der Leyen. a railroad
expert. has Published an article in the
June number 81 the German Review.
concerning the management OF the
Government railroads Of Prussia
He demonstrates that the example
OF Prussia IN buying the private rail-
reads and running them on Govern
meut account has contributed to pop
ularfze this system IN other countries
and states that not only have the 9th.
q German states followed Il, but that
almost all the other European coun-
tries have purchased the existing rail.
roads.
The Austrian Government railroad
net has today a mileage of almost 8.
900 miles. that Of Hungary. about g.
$50 miles. Since 1859, a great change
has taken place in Russia: Of the then
existing 1000 miles of railroad. only
about 40 miles we're owned by the
Government. The total mileage In
1897 Sas about $4,000 miles, Of which
1880 miles belonged &c the Govern
ment. To this must be added the
Government railroads in Finland and
Asiatic Russia. the Trans-Caspian and
the Siberian railroads
The Servian. Roumanian, and Bull.
garian railroads are owned exclusive,
~ by the respective Governments.
or the northern European kingdoms
Denmark has a Government railroad
system OF .167 miles and 525 miles
Of private railroads.
Norway's railroads belong almost
exclusively TO the Government.
Sweden has 1903 miles OF Govern
ment and 4,3s7 miles Of private rail.
roads The Government has not yet
succeeded in acquiring the latter. al
though efforts have been made 10 dc
so.
Belgium. in 1898, through the pur
chase OF the Grand Central Beige and
SOME minor private roads. became the
possessor OF the whole Belgian rail
road system.
Holland acquired all the remaining
private railroads in 1890: they are
however. operated by two private
companies.
The Italian Government purchased
all private main railroads of Italy IL
1886 and leased them for twenty year.
10 private corporations. Mr.. Won de-
trffsss hSve: had UNPLEASANT s ex ls;i
ences with this arrangement.
Switzerland. after long discussion
resolved by federal law IN October
1897. to gradually purchase all the
private railroads. On January 1. 1901
the first railroads were operated b,
the Government
BY agreements of 1885. the six large
French private railroads had then
rights recognized by the Government
and no change has been made In tbs
policy In that country. The relatiyel,
small Government railroad system
located between the Orleans and ths
Western railroads. has remained in
tact. As the private railroads. how
ever. have received large subsidie.
from the Government. and as the,
viii revert to the State in the second
half Of the present century. they car
hardly be considered purely private
railroads.
Of the countries which have a pri
yate railroad system exclusively. oni,
England and the United States re
main. and the writer remarks that II
would not seem that this condition
VIII soon be changed He adds that n
would be difficult to prove that the
railroads OF these two countries show
more efficiency than the continenfal
ones. To an American travelling n
europe. however. II Is apparent that
as Tar as comfort and convenience arr
concerned. the American railroads ars
iar IN the lead, and the English come