The Washington herald., 1906-11-12
DOES NOT WORK WELL
Government Ownership as
Applied to the Railroads.
THE CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA
williams, After Per-
sOnaI Study and Observation,
Comes Home Convinced that Mr..
Bryan's Proposed Remedy Would
Bring More Ills to This Country.

Mr.. c. Arthur Williams, the wen-Gn0wn
Washington correspondent Of the Hous-
ton Post. has returned from a Eve
months trip 70 Australia and New
Zealand
Judging from the results OF my OBJ
servations IN Australasia" he said yes
terday. tho adoption OF NJ. Bryan's
scheme Of State and Federal ownership
Of railways IN the United states, would
not only fail to cure the admitted evils
Of which he and students generally com
plain, but would create other and per
haps even greater ones. IN my humble
judgment, no more monumental error
could be committed. II is my opinion
that all existing transportation abuses
can be abolished and prevented by proper
legislation.
'Tl.e rate bin passed by tho present
Congress tends in the rIsht direction, and
II it does not go far enough the national
legislature should enact additional laws,
the judiciary should honestly and fairly
interpret them. and the executive author
itics should rigldly enforce them. II it
be oontended that political manipulation
and the ability OF great aggregations Of
capital TO Influence lawmakers prevent
the proper performance Of the duty OF
any OF ali Of the three branches Of the
government. would Ike 70 know what
the result would be If the railroads were
government owned and therefore. under
the control. in the last analysis. Of Con-
gTess and the various state legislatures.
Country's Developments Retarded.
Government ownership distinctly is not
the success In Australia and New Zealand
that if has been represented 20 De. The
development of both countries is being
retarded, TO an excessive degree, by the
governmental m0nopoheS which make
competition IN railway construction and
operation impossible. Australia. only
about one-sixth smaller than the United
States. has approximately as many people
as the single State Of Texas. or the single
city OF New York, and fully 81 per cent
Of them are to be found ia the SIX State
capitals. One-fourtb Of The total popuia-
ton Is In the two cities Of sydney and
Melbourne. The country, o. 3 whole, is
more sporsely populated than any Other
part OF the world. with the exception OF
the Arctic regions and some small islands.
With hundreds OF thousands Of inni-
grants, many Of whom are quite deslT-
able. pouring into the United States and
Canada annually, the comparatively small
increase IN Australian population IN re-
cent years has been due considerably
more TO the excess OF births over deaths
than 10 the excess OF permanent arrivals
over departures only part Of The
edges Of the great lsiand-continent enjoy
railway facilities. The total railway
mileage Of tho commonwealth j. only
about the same as that Of Texas There
8 TO transcontncntaI line. either north
or south or east and west Millions OF
acres IN the interior cannot be developed
because Of the lack OF railways and. on
the other hand. some OF the existing
branch lines have been constructed pure
y because Of political considerations GnE
not AT all because they tended to the
settling and upbuilding Cf the country.
DO Not Pay Working Expenses.
"T'he railways Of Australia are owned
by the various States In which they he
Not one Of the State systems has paid
working expenses and nominal interest
throughout the whole period Of its exist
ence. Deficits have been made up out Of
the general taxation funds, which has re-
suited in increased taxes, or from addi-
tionaI loans, which have brought the
public indebtedness up 90 appalling
levels. The per capita indebtedness on
account Of railways alone IL the single
State Of Queensland for example, is
nearly twenty times the total per capita
indebtedness OF the United States. The
total public debt Of Australia, with It's
4.c0)coo people. Is larger than that Of the
United states with Soo0o.0Oo. and both the
total and the per capita debt arc con
stantly growing larger.
Freight and passenger rates are uni
versally higher there than here. and the
facilities enjoyed by the traveller and the
shipper are not remotely comparable 70
those afforded ny the privately owned
systems of the United States. Sydney
and Melbourne, so miles apart, and each
containing more than half a million Cf
people, must tolerate g service consisting
OF but one train each way q day. and bur
six days 81 the week And this is the
very best ia the commonwealth. These
are only few Of many Disadvantages
that might be cited, and II there are any
advantages my diligent search failed To
reveal them"