The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1908-08-04
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS

After twenty-five years experience Japan has determined
ingish private ownership Of railroads
all lines owned and operated BY the the Examiner
The Financial and Economic Annual Of Japan for 1903 which
has just been issued BY the japanese department Of finance includes
statistics the results Of Government ownership that may
have instruction for other nations.
The railroad history Of Japan began in 1874 with the building
few small lines BY the Ten later private
sttion began and for many oatspped government
sricton During the with Russia however the government
took Of the private lines military purposes
the end Of the fiscal year 1907 the State owned 24o miles d road
while the private corporations owned 2o32 miles
III the fiscal year 1907 the roads 3573Iz yen 1.-THE
being worth nearly cents) while the private roads earned
43Io15o8 yen The expenses Of the State roads I824oo
yen of the private roads, a2o25,oo6 yen
The objection urged by opponents Of ownership that
government enterprise than private ene
be borne BY the figures Of Japnaese
though the difference great might be expected The
penses Of the private roads for oo6z took 5r4 per
Now the has arranged buy 2S2 Of the 2o3s
miles Of roads private ownership BY Of about
100000 Besides these roads the japanese government buying
the Korean railways,
Tie report says "rhe working railways
their naturalization has given satisfactory results The railway
profits have increased beyond expectation According THE e
formed the naturalization scheme considered
il anticipated that during the two first financial the profit
from the naonaed railways would be insufficient the debts
incurred Of purchase but in the financial year oo67 the
actual profit l66S7452 yen against the estimated Of
48I54o and in the oo8 also is believed that the
actual receipts will exceed the estimated amount which is 33I2,
$50 yen that the profit the purchased railways will be
than sufficient pay the interest
The Japanese government pretty hrewd business corporation
itself and though wasting good deal Of the peoples
ey building warshp and other unproductve expenditures does
hesitate spend the money enterprises that further the
Of the nation.
The Wall Street Journal thinks that the blacklist cloud that
returning prosperity the possible election Of w Bryan
That bugaboo frightened many 1896 but will have little
effect now
Factories opening up the East and the dinner pail filing
up again but late What has occurred may again and
aborers know that possible for empty dinner pail
ist during republican administration.
They also know that their interests and the interests Of such
Van Ceave and Post and the Wall Street gang the
they intelligent enough for their
may be realized but he has a rocky road to travel J
We TAFT scratch Sherman He represents inter-
opposed the very reforms which Mr. Taft morally
pledged Sherman geographical candidate He bounded y
the East by Wall Street and the West BY Let alone Puck
Brady record will certainly land him in the gubea
oa chair and the Grand Old Party record during the two
Idaho such make much Of an offset
DO recall decisions that threaten their
ganizaton? will they follow Gonpers and Mitchell Van
Ceaye and Post?
Citizen reaches its subscribers the Wallace
convention will be hoped that harmony viii