Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-09-09
UNCLE SANS RAILROAD
Government Ownership Already
Inaugurated In Panama.
ALSO OWNS STEAMSHIP LINE.


All unnoticed and entirely unpre.
meditated. probably. direct test Of
| the expedieucy Of government owner
ship OF public utilities was lnaugurated
by the purchase of the Panama rail
way and its subsidiary steamship line
as collateral adjuncts Of the govern
ments canal enterprise, says Leslie ].
Perry. writing from Panama TO the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat Undeniably
the railway Is economically inseparable
from the canal in the constructive
stage. This can hardly be held 10 be
the case with the New YorS-Colon
steamship line Yet the government
pertiuaciously ciings TO the latter, and
/ by purchase has recently added 20 the
line two large and speedy ships at q
cost of S1,35O,OOO.
1t is only the spectator right here
on the ground who can fully com
prehend the tremendous power the gov
eminent has taken into its hands by
this incidental entry into the field OF
commerce.
This national ownership OF q ridicu-
lous little railroad only forty-seven
| miles long, remote as IL is from the
United States, makes the country in
fact powerful competitor of seven
| transcontncntal railways, including
the Canadian Pacific. having not less
than $4,000 miles OF main track Their
stocks and bonds are scattered In the
hands Of thousands Of private Amer
lean citizens. For. ridiculously short
as 81 is. the Panama railway. too, is a
transcOutiucutal line 10 q degree. IL IS
true. as Mr.. Bristow states in his re-
cont report. that the relation il sus-
taius 10 commerce IS different from
that Of any other transportation com
pany that rs, with reference merely
TO the construction OF the canal by
government Nevertheless It is direct
and effective AS a common carrier.
fixing rates the same as any other COM
pauy, it's relations are not different I'm
any other particular.
The chief object in the purchase OF
both the railway and the steamship
lines was the transportation OF the
canal freights, but anybody who fire.
Quents the Colon and Panama wharfs
quickly observes that a very large pro
portion of the ship cargoes and railway
freights are FOR private account. 10 is
clear that financially the government
has made a good thing by taking over
these lines They both pay q large
return above the cost of maintenance.
which viii be much greater when the
facilities for handling the mass of
freights Offering are increased IN &C
Cordance with the liberal plans already
being carried out. The purchase of the
two steamers above mentioned Is sig
nifcant of the governments intentions
IN this regard as well as probable de
termination TO permanently maintain
its present single relation toward our
trauscontuental commerce as well as
foreign commerce with the Pacific
coast OF South America.
Z As for the Panama railway. it IS
actually swampcd with both passenger
and freight traffic IL runs five passen-
ger trains each way daily. Zach looks
like an excursion train. such a rush OF
passengers is there. both first and sec
ond class. The natives ana canal EN-
ployces are great travellers. IL Is not
unusual 90 see a dozen persons stand
ing IN the coach aisle.
Under the original Panama railroad
company the fare from Aspinwau
COLON 20 Panama was SO. gold. Just
think OF paying SO railroad fare from
Washington 20 Baltimore or New York
20 West Point. DE Lesseps reduced
the fare 90 IS. gold-still enough. IN all
conscience, for forty-seven mile ride.
Our commission promptly reduced this
rate 70 81, gold. and In May last 10
$40, or cents per mile. The OLD
rate of SO. aud even IS. was pure rob
berry. The passenger had no recourse
there was no competing line He could
not get across the isthmus on an OK
cart nor atoot Ia addition, the pas
senger had 10 pay > cents per pound
on his baggage, an onerous imposition
suil maintained.
To date, then, government ownership
works wen. The administration evil
IDENTIFY feels very complacent over the
results thus far. although the nations
Z going INTO trade was incidental 10 its
paternal project OF canal building for
the benefit OF mankind IN general. "un-
beknownst' 10 itself, as Il were But
whether accidental or intentional, its
transportation venture pays well. and
perhaps under the glowing impulse or
success the administration may con
clude 10 90 farther afield.
In the Panama railroad q big club
has been placed IN the governments
hands. It may choose TO use #. Its
commanding position as a transcontl-
mental line IL undenlable. The Bris-
tow report shows that the administra-
ton fully appreciates its new power
Suppose the president should conclude
TO bring it into play in the threatened
struggle with re railroads over rates
Perhaps the energetic enlargement
OF the PanalIa roads capacity means
just that thing. IL is TO be double
tracked, 10 have large additions to its
rolling stock. and its terminal facilities
are to be doubled. These improve
ments are already in progress.
The purchase Of the two New York
Colon ships jibes with the stories in
the zone that the canal commission