The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-03-19
FINANCE JAP
RAILWAY
NATIoNALlzED LINES TOO MUCH
OF A BURDEN ON COUNTRY.
European Capitalists Are Considering
Plans for Taking Burden on the
Governments Shoulders and
Extending Traekaee.

Toxic. March lS--Thc government
of Japan, finding that the self i'm.
posed burden of nationali1cd railroads
may be too heavy, now Is considering
tentative projects for relieving Itself
aud AZ the same time building up
the Industries Of the country, pruyid.
ing additional exports for It's subsi.
diced steamship lines and increasing
its own income 10y the revenue from
increased production
The problem of finance in Japan
is very difficult one The tremendous
outlay on the army and navy is the
point about which statesmen. politi.
clans aud financiers are quarrcling
with GO per cent of its appropriations
given to the three divisions. finance,
army and navy, little is left for
the much needed Improvement of the
railroads. and in the present condi.
tions of the country the 400 million
dollars that must be paid to the
old railroad companies for the pur.
pose will strain the ingenuity of the
financicrs who have undertaken the
reorganization.
Meanwhile little can be done Ia
extend the trackage throughout those
sections of Japan where it is much
needed for development, and To i'm.
prove and equip the present lines In
such manner as To enable them to
operate in an adequate degree.
1t is realized by commercial men.
who opposed the naturalization of
the railroads at the time the question
came up, and by those VINO favored
the movement, but have since chang.
ed their views, that without net
work Of railroads in the island II
would be impossible to develop re-
sources. II is in this connection that
financicrs, engineers and railroad cX.
perts from foreign countries have
been In conference for the last month
and more with leading men in Japan.
II is understood that the proposition
now finding favor is that the rail-.
roads of Japan should be leased for
a period of two years To a private
company or syndicate which will take
from the shoulders of the japanese
government the financial burden and
responsibility 1t has undertaken In
this connection and pay to the gov.
ernment certain percentage OF the
profits, al the same time undertaking
improvements and extensions under A
given schedule.
The plans in this connection are
entirely tentative. but 1t may be as.
serted that they have assumed
somewhat concrete form and that un.
der certain conditions European ii.
nanciers have expressed their willing
ness TO undertake the work. II is
pointed out that when the government
of Italy nationalized the railroads
many years ago It discovered like
Japan. that the undertaking might
hamper the normal movement of the
cOuntrys finances. and that a plan
somewhat similar 10 that now under
consideration here was adopted with
great success, II is doubtful, however,
If anything more definite along these
! lines will be made public until after
the coming general election.
Japan has been told by foreign
/ financicrs that money will not be
/ forthcoming for the building up OF
an army and navy beyond such
/ standard as II is reasonable to expec'
Japan 10 maintain and that the finan
| cial world would prefer 10 see Japan
/ really and in earnest developing its
/ resources for the betterment OF It's
/ people than taxing these people for
an army and navy, which are said
/ 10 be destined for aggression sooner
or later. The reply Of the Japanese
government 10 this appears 20 have
been that the financial program OF
the future contemplated very large
reduction Of expenditures Of the army
and navy Hut those In a position 10
lend mone. apparently reioied thai
they would prefer a guarantee as 20
the expenditures on the army and
navy. But those in a position 10 lend
money apparently rejoined that they
would prefer a guarantee as to The
expenditure OF the money lent and
added I'm common with many Japa'
nese they believed the naturalization
OF the railroads quite as eat a mis-
take as too rapid and ambitious