The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-10-17
Another Lesson I'm Government
OWnershiD.

Pioneer Press: One of the favorite
schemes of the Populists and other
socialist organizations in the United
States is the government ownership of
railways. This they are fond of say
ing would reduce the cost of operation,
do away with all unjust discrimination
and bring down the rates of transport
tation. 1t is true that in Germany
and other countries where the gov
eminent owns and operates some or all
the railways the results have not just
flied these promises. The rates there
are enormously higher than in this
country, while the service is much less
efficient or satisfactory. 1t is urged,
however, that this is in consequence of
the aristocratic oficialism which man.
ages the service in European coun-
tries, and that the results would be
different in a democratic republic
like the United States. But the gov
eminent of New South Wales more
nearly approaches the purely demo-
cratic type than the constitutional re-
public of the United States or of any
state of the American Union. The re-
port just issued by the railway COM
missioners of that most progressive
and democratic of British colonies,
showing the results of the operation
of the government railways for the
year ending June 30, 1902, throws
some future interesting light on this
question. The report covers a
year in which the percentage of
earnings was greatly diminished by
the rebates amounting to over $500, 900
allowed on starving live stock and
fodder and other commodities in con-
sequence OF a disastrous drouth which
prevailed through the pastoral dis
tricts. In spite of rates which the re-
ports say were exceptionally low"
the average venue derived from
freights of ali kinds was 2.4 cents per
ton per mile, as against 2.26 cents the
preceding years.
The latest report of the interstate
commerce commission of this country
Is that Tor 1900. For the entire United
States h average freight venue
per on per mile was less than / cent.
or O.o6 OF q cent, per ton per mile.
But the region of country in the
United States more nearly correspond
ing in its general conditions to New
South Wales is probably what is COM
prised in the sixth of geographical
groups in which the interstate COM
merce commission divides the railway
OF the country for the purpose of
statistical comparison. This COM
prises Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa.
Minnesota and those portione OF
North and South Dakota east of the
Missouri river. The average revenue
drived from freights per ton per mile
in this group in 1900 was O.8O6 of a
cent. But if it is objected that much
OF this district is much more densely
populated than New South Wales.
which is true, this objection would
not apply, for example, to the region
traversed by the Great Northern rail-
road, which runs through six or seven
states from st. Paul to Seattle, all Of
which, west OF Minnesota, are very
sparsely settled, and where the con-
ditions existing II q large part Of
New South Wales are reproduced. The
average earnings on freight per ton
per mile on the Great Northern for
1901 we're O.S25 per ton per mile. In
New South Wales they we're 2.14 cents
per ton per mile, or 40 per cent
greater, on railroads owned and
operted by the government than on
9 railroad system owned and operated
by . corporation-the conditions in