New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-08-26

anhg companies, but, on the contrary has had
20 make good its deficits I'm their accounts for
many years amounting 10 about 81 .5OOoOo a
year. Tor considerable portion Of the new rail-
roads built under the law OF 1879 have never vet
PAU running expenses. So. in interest and def
el's' ltaly's railroads have been costing the ma
uoh more than SS0o00060 a year. with not a
cent OF returns TO counterbalance it,
1t might be thought that this at least. was
the whole tale of woe But there Is another
cnapter. Even under this enormous cost to the
state the railroads have not been kept in good
condition. On the contrary roadbeds and roll
ing STOCK have gone 20 rack and ruin. and the
service has become intolerably had For months
past practically all the business men OF Milan
nave been petitiohing and clamoring for relief
from state OF affairs which as they truly say
threatens their city with industrial and CONNER
cai ruin. a leading newspaper OF this city. the
Popoio Romano. which is a strong supporter OF
the government, recently declared that the COM
mereial and industrial world of Italy has long
been showing patience and resignation un-
tNaled IN human history Another government
organ. the 'Tribuna,' declares that the enormity
or the railway scourge" is incredible. beyond all
powers OF belief All the passenger trains II
says. are behind time. not by minutes. but by
hours; they are late in starting as well as in
arriving. The railway material is for the most
u
gets through journey as best II can or as Prov
luence permits. One may say that the railway
timetable no longer exists in Italy. And when
this is the case with the principal trains on the
main lines one can imagine what is happening
with the less important trains the local lines.
Almost daily items in the papers tell how far
behind time trains were in arriving in Rome on
the preceding day. from half an hour TO two
three hours each. I'm the of trains from Flor
ence. from Pisa and from Naples. Often it is
announced that because of the overcrowding
and the lack of facilities for transportation.
more goods win he received for shipment for a
week or more. Perishable goods, such as fruit.
vegetables, meat. etc. have rotted by the train
load, and passengers have had 10 wait for days
and weeks for the delivery of their baggage
The causes OF all the trouble are manifold.
There are not enough cars 20 carry the traffic.
There are rot enough engines to pull the
There are not enough platforms for the loading
and unloading Of the trains. There are not
enough sheds for The storage Of goods. There
are not enough sidinss and tracks for trains to
run on and stand on And all the cars and
engines and platforms and sheds and sidings and
tracks are worn cut and falling TO pieces with
age and neglect. No wonder matters have come
to crisis!
The government has decided to return to
Its former policy of state ownership and opera
ton. Although the roads were leased for sixty
years in 1885. there was a provision that the
lease might be cancelled and the government
might resume possession Of the roads at the end
Of twenty years and this the government has
now decided to do. In addition it will purchase
the few roads remaining under private owner
ship mostly in Southern Italy. OF course. it will
have TO spend enormous sums in rehabilitation
and improvements. and to that end it has en-
acted che appropriation OF s26000,OOO year for
the next ten years. It has also already ordered
some 12C00 cars and 500 locomotives. That
II will need to do much more than this is quite
obvious. if it is to put it's roads upon profitable
basis. The whole management of Italian rail-
roads is very bad. Thus. to cite single ex-
ample. ali passengers must get their tickets
and register their baggage within twenty
minutes before the train starts. Even if one has
a tourists circular ticket, he must get It
stamped at the ticket office AS there is, at
even the largest Offices only ticket agent
and one baggage agent. the congestion is usually
very great, and trains often depart before half
the passengers get tickets get their
baggage registered else the trains held
until long after starting time in order to accom-
modate the crowd. The free pass system is also
a Hnonstrous abuse. Every Senator and Deputy
is entitled not only to free pass. but 10 a re-
served carriage, and his family, including
parents grandparents, children, ch1ldreIl-ln law
and servants, are all entitled TO free passes The
same privilege is given by law to the wives and
widows of all Knights of the Order OF the An
nunziata and to few court officials specified.
under secretaries OF state who not mem
bers OF parliament. the president and the sec
tional presidents of the councils of public works
railway functionaries and ex-functiOnaries
above certain rank, and to the first secretaries
OF the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public
Works. AS for the number of free passes for
single trips which may be granted, their name IS
legion; so that it is often said TO be mark OF
exceptional distinction for an Italian TO travel
on a railway ticket for which he has paid the
regular price
With such conditions to deal with and with
such chaos to reduce 10 order IL is not to be
wondered at that the King is sending commits
sioners to America to learn how to operate
railroads. But il may be questioned whether tho
methods employed and results attained under
private ownership ana operation WIFI be found
practicable under state ownership and operation
here
WEDDINGS PAST AND TO COME.
Magnolia, Mass Aug 25.-Miss Emily Sargent,