The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1908-07-23
THURSDAY, JULY %, 1908.
FRENCH GOVERNMENT Blu
RAILROADS.
BUYS


The vote Of the French senate fol
the acquisition by the state of the
railroad system of one of the si1
great companies, the Western, marks
the surrender of the more conserva
tive interests to movement which
has been years in progress and
doubtless could no longer be resisted
safely, says the Railroad Age Ga
Zette.
The lower house had repeatedly
voted in favor of the measure; but
various ministers who when deputies
! had committed themselves in favor
of it, have apparently desired its de.
feat in the senate, not so much be
cause of char ge OF views on the prin-
ciple of state ownership as because
of fear that with the present temper
of the employees, and the power
which their organization can exert
an administration aiming to do jus.
tice to the whole community coulo
not be effected.
Socialist deputies whose ideal
would be the naturalization of all
productive property, have, when re
sponsible ministers, opposed meas
ures demanded by the employees, feel
ing sure that they would soon resul,
in financial disaster. OF all coun
tries in the world, except perhaps
Prussia, France seems at first glance
best prepared to undertake the man
agement of its railroads. 1t has al
ways virtually owned them.
Every line has been laid out by the
state and the substructure built
its own expense, and the six great
companies which work them have
had substantially long lease (origi
nally for 30 years., at the end o
which lease Git was prolonged some
time ago. the lines fall into the pos
session of the government, on its
paying for the rolling stock.
The state guarantees dividends OF
the shares of these companies, and
contribution to a sinking fund whicl
will retire the principal at the expira
tion of the concessions. It's expen
ditures on account of these guaran
tees amounts to an enormous sum
and for several of the companies con
tinues to this day. In 1906 the West
ern company required on this ac
count about $1,2O0,0OO, working a
that time 3633 miles of road ant
earning at the average rate of $13,
S0t gross and $4,76S net per mile
The companies have their operations
closely supervised by government of
ficials, and they can make no change
in rates without the approval of thu
ministry of public works.
Further, France has highly train
ed and numerous technical corps
the oldest in the world. so efficient
that the railroad companies them
selves draw their leading operating
officers from them. For long time
moreover, II has had small state
railroad system QS11 miles in l9O6)
which, though consisting chiefly OF
lines once chartered to companies
but so Improbable that the com
panies were unable to complete them
was yet an admirable school of prac
tice for the government officers. In
1906 this state system earned So,
900 gross and $l526 net per mile.
The systems of the six great COM
panies may be described as, with one
exception (The Southern). sections
of circle having its center at Paris
The Western lines reach the coast
from Dieppe south to Brest. includ
ing the great port of Havre. Its traf
flo has been uriavoraly affected by
the Improvement of the Seine below
Paris, This was done at great ex
pense, and no tolls are imposed.
France is surrounded ON all sides
but one SPAIN nv state railroad leg.
systems, In Belgium and Germany
the governments have long worked |
the railroads; In Switzerland and |
Italy the state operations began re
Gently, There has long been stronf
party in France in favor OF state op
GRAFTON, which early in the SOS seem
ed likely to prevail, but was avoided
by new contracts with the companies