New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-23
GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF RAILROADS.
Not All Abuses Remedied by 1t in South
Africa.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: I note from the admirable Tribune Review
(Which no American away from home can AFFORD 20
be vithou3 that you inclined 70 favor munich
pal or governmental control Of certain enterprises
as opposed to private control, as we have II al
home The inclosed editorial from this morning s
Cape Tines will indicate some OF the abuses
which are to be found in government control ms
SPEAKS for itself, and. except for few facts suCh
as the fare OF six cents mile the wage rate OF
employees far lower than in the United States cost
OF living approximately double. feS stations WIN
out a grade crossing obligatory-and you Will see
the condition as it actually confronts US The gov
eminent assumes no liability for accident when any
one gets in front Of train, and regards nm as u
trespasser This line runs through the chleI resi-
dence district Of this city
This is 4 fair sample Of the way in which the
governments and municipalities conduct their vari-
Gus enterprises N South Africa. while abonlnabIe
services exorbttant rates and poorly p2lq H5
natural prosperity of this wonderful land than the
These socaiistic ideas make lovely theories, and,
unluckly for this land they are carried out IN Ver
throaghout the length and breadth Of i has 7- the
Cape Town, South Africa. May 20 1905
The following is the editorial above referred to;
KILLING NO MURDER.
From The Cape Times,
Four fatal accidents have taken place on the sub,
urban line dying the last oa ave vsstsSay me
when European was run over and killed. ana CaT
hours We should Be sorry to have to compute the
number Of fata! accidents which nave occurred
within the last twenty-five years as d correspond
ent suggests. but IL would probably oe well within
the mark state the figure at from 300 to 0el ne
point is that for some five or SIX years past me
death rate from accidents the WynberS line mas
been steadily rising We called attention the other
day to the premium which was being placed on
partInent in compelling children and others VINO
have been accustomed TO make use OF the stauoh
bridges to pass the line by the level crossings
We are glad to learn from Amos Bailey 5 letter
that the public will be allowed free access 10 the
railway platform for the purpose OF crossing ILe
line by the bridges. But. as Mr. Bailey very cor
rectly points out this concession IN no way aLeCIS
the main position, which he and others who nave
interested themselves in the question nave always
taken up That IS that II is the duty OF the gov
eminent, and Of one else TO provide proper Ia
cties for crossing the railway line without FISK
It has come 70 this. that people are being killed on
this ten mile stretch of line literally by the score
The horror Of II has been impressed upon the gov
the heading ''KiIed on the Line has become a
stereOtyped feature of the newspapers. Yet notn-
ing whatever has been done 10 remedy THIS De
pIOra bic state of affairs and are not sure tnat
considered by a large section Of the public as a
natural and inevitable consequence OF running
trains The government has encouraged the IDEA
by declining to take any action in the direcuon OF
clear however that this monstrou5 state or aI1alrs
cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely. II IS
quite proba bic that a large ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a
ma forftyof fatalities the line are the result
of the carelessness of the victims themselves But
this is no manner Of for government neglect
We can well suppose that If half the accidents
which in Cane Town were TO occur OF q
compang owned line in England the company would
very soon have TO retire from the railway business
its funds exhausted by the constant drain upon
them Of jUries' awards.