The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24

take over the ST. Gothard Tunnel in 1911
and TO pay S15C0O.c0O for 1t.
When the great Lotschberg road is fin-
ished, the line through st. Gothard will
be only a branch road !; there will be
hardly enough traffic to pay the expense
of keeping the tunnel in repairs. But the
cantons are bound by the contract made
when the government assumed control
OF the railroads to take this tunnel at
the Sl500O,00 valuation.
A Way Out.
It was only by virtue OF an ancient
grant that Canton Borne was able to
grant franchise for theBnew LotschberE
Railroad. Ten years ago the government
conferred on the canton authority to drive
a tunnel through the Bernese Alps to
Lotschberg. This is not now considered
the most suitable location for the tunnel:
engineers have pointed to q new route
that would save at least $4,000 in the
| cost of construction. But the jealousy OF
the other cantons is so great that they
would not consent to change one word In
| the old grant.
In fact the Lucernians have gone to
this e~lent OF employing foreign counsel
to their aid In the attempt to pick flaw
| in the former grant, and to compel the
| Canton Of Berne to so before the Federal
Parliament a second time
| ~ Defnese NE enthusiastic over the
possibilities Of the new line. They see In
| it method OF escape from the tyranny
of the Socialists Of Lucerne-for, para.
doxical as 1t may seem, wherever the
Socialists are In control they are the
greatest tyrants Of Europe.
Even while the tunnel Is building the
1 rcd ranters of 1Iucerne are Sending their
emissaries to the other cantons, striving
to awaken sentiment against per-
hitting the government trains to run
through the new tunnel after 1t Is finish
ed. 1t Is amusing to observe how quickly
| and naturally the Socialists resort to the
boycott methods that they denounce so
| bitterly when practiced by private cor
porations.
The new trunk limo starts near Spies,
few miles from the Lake OF Thun. II
| is in direct communication with the
| towns OF Thun and Pontarher and with
| the cities of Berne and Basel. 1t Joins
| tho Silnplon at Brig and virtually COM
| pletes that great project
| When the line Is completed, Paris will
| be twenty-five miles nearer the cities OF
| Italy than by the Lusnnne-Simplon route,
| and 100 miles nearer than by the St
! Gothard route. The distance from Calais
to. Northern Italy will be shortened fifty.
| two miles.
Supremacy Selfish.
i
tons that the Lotschberg tunnel is about
on a par with that Of the great trans.
continental railways at homo to thu
Panama Canal. There is no question Of
tile ultimate benefit of this short line tt
the Swiss Republic, but It will aid mos
territory only partly developed
1 Nowhere else in Europe or America
have found people who are SO SUI
premely selfish. who show such utter dis
regard for tho common good, as this
socialist community of Lucerne. TO them,
i all is OWL but that which will bring
pecuniary profit to the city and Canton
OF Lucerne. In their selfish greed they
have buried their ono talent In tho earth
1 and while democratic Berne is uniformly
prosperous. bankruptcy dogs the heels Of
| socialist Lucerne.
Advocates of public and municipal so.
A cialism find little to bolster up their cause
In tho records of the Swiss republic
Those who have actually mnde the Pill
gTimage to this shrine OF ancient de-
mocrhcy generally lose their enthusiasm
for government control and return home
pretty Well satisfied with tho condition.
in tlleir own country.
The jealousy among the cantons Is vel