The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-09-27
THE RAILROAD RATE QUESTION.

people of many other countries ar
confronted by a similar problem. an
that nowhere has a satisfactory sOlu
ton been discovered.
Countries which w their railroad
n those which have private owner
ship are equally agitated over the rate
question. The absolute monarchy anG
the most democratic republic face the
same problems and find themselves
about equally unable to reach an ad.
justment satisfactory to all sides. In
the United States there are constant
charges that the railroads favor GER
tain commercial centers at the expense
of others: but in Austria, where the
roads are owned and operated by the
government. the charge Is much more
definite and serious. 1t is ven alleged
there that the whole state.owned sys.
tenn is manipulated for the interests Of
two great cities of the continent.
These are a few of the difficulties
which have been discovered lately by
students of this transportation prob
lem. Germany has both state and pri.
vate owned roads, the largest share of
mileage being state owned. Com
plants about the rates are constant
and o annoying. Northern Ger.
many is the factory section of the EN-.
pire. while the southern part is the
agricultural, roughly corresponding
to the east and west in the United
States.
The agricultural interests have kept
a high tariff on foreign foodstuffs, in
order that Germany might be encour.
aged TO raise all its own grains and
meats. Yet the grains and meats
raised IN southern Germany are large
ly sent abroad, because the freight
rates OF the country are so high that
1t is more economical to send these
products to other markets and to buy
American or Argentine grain that has
Travelled half way across a continent
by rail and then entirely across the
Atlantic by boat. Naturally the Ger.
man factory owners protest against
the condition. They say If German
foods are to 60 abroad in spite of the
tariff they ought not to be compelled
to pay the high duties on the food for
their factory hands.
One of the curious results of these
conditions is that the kingdoms and
the central government, as we'll as
many OF the cities, are building canals
to compete with the railroads in order
to keep rates down to reasonable fig.
ures. The fact that the government
will " both the canals and the rail.
roads has q prevented the making
OF Investments. In this country canals
are e garded as useful checks on rail.
roads, and New York is spending
SlOO, OOO, 900 to improve the Erie canal, |
believing thereby she will strengthen
her grip on the standard of empire
among the states. But Germany pre-
sents the odd spectacle that New York
would If, already owning the rail.
roads, she should spend this immense
sun to enable the state canal to keep
the state railroad in check.
In England the question Of exces.
sive freight rates is more seriously
discussed than in this country, though
there is not SO much complaint there
Of rebates, Determinations and unfair
ad justment as between commercial
centers. The English roads are CAPT.
talized at more than four times as
much as American systems-over
$3.50, 900 per mile-and are entirely in
private ownership. In fact Great
Britain and the United States are the
only first class nations which have no
publicly. owned railroads.
Italy tried the experiment Of state
ownership and private operation Of
some of its leading lines, but the plan
has not been successful, and the rail
road question is fully as prominent in
that country as in the United States.
In Australia, where the provinces
own the railroads and the general
government supervises their opera.
ton, they do some odd things. For
instance, out in the newer and sparse
~ settled regions. where there is
little business, instead OF charging
higher rates on freight and passen-
gers, the state roads charge lower
rates, on the theory Of encouraging
settlement and development of bust
ness. The scheme is said to work
we'll. But, on the other hand, the two
cities of Sidney and Melbourne, which
overshadow the entire continent with
their greatness and wealth, are alleged
to control the entire adjustment of
rates in their own interest and to be
establishing a monopoly Of the trade
of the continent.
BILLINGS, Sept. 2O.-A telegram was