Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-01

possible" replied Mr.. Fehon; "and we pay
about the same wages you pay in the
United States. We pay far more than they
do in Europe, and our men are better treat
ed than those of any railroad l know. We
have a civil service and no man is re-
moved except for cause
How about the profits? Do your rail-
roads pay" l asked.
Yes. it is our business to make them
pay. Our total earnings last year We're
s15,o0,G1 We have debt of about
$1nW0,G0O for railroad construction, upon
which the colony pays 80 per cent. We
are increasing the value of the property
every year We are studying the country
and doing what we can to develop bust
ness along the various lines. We are push
ing out roads into the good territory, know
ing that settlement will soon follow and
that they will become profitable. A part of
our business is to meet Populations from
the various districts and to discuss the de-
velopment Of traffic. Such discussions are
ON commercial lines, politics being barred.
The only question as to the adoption of a
measure is as to whether it will be profit
able for the railroad and the people"
The Government Owns the street Cars.
How about the street cars; ] under
stand you also control them?"
THAT is true" said Mr.. Fehon. "All
the tramways of this state are under us.
We have all told about sixty-sx miles of
street railroad, mostly here in Sydney and
i m Newcastle. These are steam, electric,
cable and horse trans. We have recently
discarded steam for electricity on a part
of the Sydney system. We are using
American machinery and American cars.
At present our fares average about one
penny q eents) per mile, and we have the
lines divided into sections of one and two
miles. We carry school children at re-
duced rates. There is some difference of
opinion as to whether the street cars should
be run by the cities or by the government,
but we think that the government control
Is the best for the people"
Uncle Sam Should Own the Railroads.
DO you think the United States govern
ment should own the railroads." I asked.
Such thing is possibility" replied
Commissioner Fehon although 1t is prob
ably far In the future You have the larg-
est railway system OK the world, and any
change in DIS management would be gil
gantic undertaking. If the government
should take over the railroads 1t would
nave to pay an enormous amount for them.
1t could buy them by assessing them at
their commercial value according to the
dividends paid. This could be largely done
by changing government bonds for railroad
bonds. and the interest on-the railroad debt
should cone from the roads if they were
properly handled.
"One of the great objections to such a
scheme" continued this government rail-
way commissioner, would be that of polit-
zeal management. The roads would have
to be divorced from politics and railroad
civil service system Established The sys-
tenn might be more economically managed
than now. You could cut down your UNI
profitable lines. Parallel roads would be to
some extent abolished and YOU might save
in many ways. The problem Is a big one
and one which it would take years to settle
You would need for your commissioners
men of the highest integrity. of great abili-
" and of practical experience"
Railroads in Queensland.
Another prominent railroad man with
whom I talked on this subject is Mr.
]. f. Thallon who has the control of the
$500 miles of Queensland railroads He is
the superintendent and general manager OF
the Queensland system and as such is al
ways building new lines. Said he:
'As far as can see, the government con-
troll Of our railways has been an excellent
thing for the country. 1t has given US
profit bic railways which would never have
been built by private parties. Take our
Rockhampton line, for instance. 1t begins
at the coast ana goes 400 miles to the west
ward through country thinly populated.
There are places that line where YOU
can ride 100 miles without seeing a town
Still, the land on both sides of the road is
available for sheep. 1t is now taken I'D for
pastures. and there are hundreds of thou
sands of sheep feeding upon it. Formerly
it was devoted to cattle, but now that there
is an outlet for the wool these big focks
have been introduced. Towns are SPRING
ing up along the lines, and III time the road
will pay wel.'
Three Per Cent Dividends
How about the profit of your roads, Mr..
Thailon?" said I.
They are just beginning to pay. The
most of them now net per cent on the
capital invested We don't want a big
profit for it is our principle to put the
rates of freight and passage as low as We
can to the people. AS we make more we
shall lower fares and increase wages. We
have about $9OOOO,OO0 already invested and
have more than JOG feet Of railway for
every family in the state. We have several
Improbable lines, but, you see, We are a
new country, and we have to build with
reference 10 our development, knowing that
the roads will pay in the end
Suppose you want a new railroad" said
], how do you go about it?''
The proposition has first to be brought
before the state parliament" replied Mr.
Thallon, for that is the only body that