Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-05-30

| in the world. 1t is a known fact that
where the government has fixed rates
they have fixed a maximum which is
seldom kept to, the actual rate
charged by railway companies or ad-
ministrations being in many cases
considerably less than the maximum
allowed.
'It would be most difficult to at
tempt to lay down a scale of rates
which would be applicable to the
enormous mileage of America, the
circumstances and conditions over
its vast territory differing so widely.
The only thing that 1 think could be
legislated for would be to provide
legal means to stop a railway from
quoting rates which would seriously
embarrass or prejudice either indi-
viduals or localities.
"In Australia, we have, and pub
fish, fixed rates for all mileages on
all description of goods, but not
withstanding that, the government
recognizes that an arbitrary scale
could not harmonic with business
necessities and consequently the rail-
way act provides that notwithstand-
ing these fixed rates, the railway ad-
ministration has power to quote any
special rate at any time where exA
ceptional circumstances reasonably
require, the only objection being that
these rates should not be unfair in
their incidence, and they are reported
finally to Parliament every three
| months.
/ cit is recognized that the railroads
being state concern, public opinion
would soon tend to prevent unfair
charges. Your railway freight rates,
especially for long distances, are
something that foreign administra-
tors admire. 1t seems to me that in
reference might be mischievous
other than in the direction of legisla-
ton, if required, against undue or un-
reasonable preference"
Mr.. G. Noltein, vice president of the
Moscow-Kazan Railway Company, in
reviewing the tour which he has been
following as member of the foreign
delegates, said that America was to
him an instance of country which
developed owing to the great freedom
of the people and individual enter
prise as exemplified by the great in
dustries of which he had had unfor-
tunatefy only a cursory glance. "It
is such a great contrast" said Mr..
Noltein, ITO the commercial inact-
ivity of Russia, where instead of
railroads managed by competent and
experienced men who have been
brought up in the business, as you
have in this country, the defects of
government management are evident
at every turn"
Several other of the foreign dele
gates who were on the tour express
sed themselves as against government
interference in the regulation of
freight rates. In the opinion of
Senior Cesar Llorens, if the govern
ment wants to control the railroads,
it should take them over Altogether.
Mr.. Romniceano, of the Ministry of
Public Works and State Railways in
Roumania, does not consider it fair
that the government should interfere
in the attempt to fix the rates on
which are dependant the earnings of
an enterprise originally undertaken
with the idea that it would be uIre-
stricted except by the ordinary laws
and the law of supply and demand.
People who had invested their money
under such conditions would, in his
opinion, have decided right to COM
plain If the government should take
control of their investment
In the opinion of Mr.. Pontzen. of
the Ministry of Public Works of
France, when railway rates are re-
gulated by government, the govern
ment-as in France-stipulates only
what the maximum charge shall be,
and it is contrary to it's policy ever to
permit an increase of rates, however
much they may be below the maxi
mum. For this reason French rail-
ways are unable to lower rates to
. meet special commercial need, be-
cause they cannot return to the nor
NAL charges when that need ceases
to exist.
A representative of the German
government, Herr Gustav FRANKIE.
save the conditions are so different
in this country from those in Ger
many that it would seem impossible
to make a comparison; but that it is,
nevertheless, evident that 1t would
be much more difficult to apply state
control In the United States than in
Europe.