Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-07-22
Dali WAYS HOME AND ABROAD.

30 instances Justly so, but when
oomnared with the railroad service in
otber countries and the freights and
Soree charged, distances considered
tba roads in the United States are par
ogons of perfection. Here is an article
sso,,, tbe Pocatello Tribune which
ives facts worth the consideration O.
thouphtful people. 1t reads as follows:
"The best statistics on English Rail
roods show freight rate on minerals
If 1873 cents per ton mile, on merchan,
disc and livestock of 2.94 cents, on all
commodities of 2.32 cents. On Ameri-
can roads the average on the same
classes of freight is OBS cents per ton
mile, On German roads it is LAP cents
on French roads LIB cents on Austrian
roads 1.1G cents on Hungarian roads
100 cents.
'In 1908 the average passenger rate
nm American roads was POI cents per
mile. this was an increase due it is
claimed. to the transfer of the cheaper
passenger rates to the interurban cleo
tric roads, and not an actual advance
in passenger rates on the steam roads.
The foreign passenger rates on the
same classes WERE in England cents.
in Germany 3-45 cents. Taking the
miles that a laborer can travel on an
average days wage, the American la
borer for a days pay can travel 90
miles. the British 35 miles, the Ger
man SO miles, the French 40 miles.
the Belgium sc miles, the Italian SO
miles. the Russian SO miles, the East
Indian 81 miles.
ION American roads the pay of loco
motive engineers average 81 per day,
English $1.62 Belgian $1.01. American
firemen get $22S per day, British 81
cents, Belgian ~ cents. During the last
four years American roads have paid
for new locomotives, cars and equip
ment, S74,000,000. The capitalization
of 2S3,S21 miles of American railroad
track and equipment, depot buildings,
zation in 1903 was $61,369 per mile.
The same year it was on English roads
$277,474 per mile; on German roads,
1884, 25 on French roads, $143,053; on
Russian, $79,095; on Austrian, $110,-
AIS; on Belgian $167,S9S. at the same
time labor employed in the construc-
ton of American roads paid from two
or four times as much as on foreign
roads. Comparing the division of gross
earnings on American roads between
labor and capital, 40 per cent goes to
labor and % per cent to capital In
England labor gets 81 per cent and
capital SO per cent. In Germany the
division is equal.
These figures, taken mostly from the
reports of the interstate commerce
commission, serve to emphasize the
conservative policy of the president as
against the radical policy of govern
ment ownership effected by partial
confiscation. The railroads have the
power of giant over the prosperity
of the people. A conservative policy
of government supervision means only
that they will not be permitted to us
this power like amuck giant. When con
sentative supervision is conceded am
is in operation it will be seen to hav'
been the best for railroad property
as well as best for the shippers and
the public. Any one who runs amuck
at the railroads is unwise and impru-
dent. Any one who pretends that their
offensive use of power can be prevent
ed only by government ownership is
one who disbelieves in government at
all.
This country will not subject the
nnEN1A b he .nil