The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-25
FRIDAY, APRIL cS. 1907
RAILROADS AND NATIONAL PROP
ERTY.


Praise at home and envy abroad for
our wonderful development in railroads
is very satisfactory to cur pride MS
O nation. 1t is also Of no slight value
to our wealth as individuals. But we
arc too apt to take. the mere statement
chat we have n wonderful organization
for the proof OF the fact. 1t is. there
fore, very interesting to the public to see
such comparison OF American and Euro
pean railroad as that which appeared
in the Journal OF Commerce recently. This
article points out that the English rail-
roads maintain that their rates are high
er than ours because their haul is so
snuci, shorter and the terminal charges
proportionately much greater. In com
1nenting on this argument, Mr.. Paish. a
writer to the London Statist, points out
4 that by comparison between the London
and Northwestern and Pennsylvania Rail
roads. though the average haul of tho
latter is only little more than three
times that of the former. yet the En-
s s.lish road earns four and four-tenths as
much per ton mile as does the American
road.
Wages have advanced enormously in
both England and America, but here
tho increase has been largely offset
by economies in administration, while
there the advance has simply increased
the cost of doing business. The result
has been that in tho last twenty years
The Pennsylvania Railroad has reduced
the cost of handling ton of freight
one-third, while the London and North
western has actually increased its charges
a,y one-uuarter. For example. in twenty
eight years the train load on the Lake
shore Railroad increased 239 per cent,
an India it increased y per cent, and
in England it increased only Is per cent
It has also been frequently pointed out
that the British railroads could not
handle large train loads, even If they
wished to do so, while their cars and
<,nirncs remain as small as at present
nut on the other hand. it is too often
{ overlooked that until the tunnels are en-
/. larred and the bridges rebuilt 1t VIII
1,e impossible for England to greatly
increase the capacity Or size OF her
freight cars. For instance. in 1900. the
train load on the Lake Shore Railroad
was 455 tons, on the East Indian Rail
road 1876 tons, while on tho London and
Northwestern, the greatest railroad in
england st was only 6S CLIO tons. In
twenty-eigllt years America has increased
her train load gu tons, India 81 tons and
England 8 tons.
All of this means that British trade is
laboring under a heavy burden of which
it may not be aware, but which is none
the less real and pressing. for England
is competing with Germany and the
United States. and il the latter coun-
tries can handle their freight at home
Ear more cheapIy than their competitor
can. the outcome is bound to be to their
advantage How great this difference is
IS shown by the fact that the average
charge per ton mile on the five greatest
railroads Of England is 2.d6S cents. On
all the leading railroads in tho United
States It was mills in 1901 and on the
lines cast OF Chicago it was only 5.5
mills.
IT would be the part Of wisdom for
Great Britain to make the investment
right now which would allow her to COM
pete on equal terms SO far as handling
her products at home is concerned with
her great national rivals. Germany and
america.