New-York tribune., 1909-06-14
STATE-OWNED LINES
Ratio of Failures Sirteen to One,
Says "Cy Warman. .
BY Cy Warman.

The ratio Of failure to success among men who
have experimental with state-owned railways. so
far as my observations reach are about sixteen to
one Only the strongest lines can live under gov
regulation, while absolute ownership and
control almost invariably fatal. The Inter
colonial, of Canada, has been the governments bur
den for a third of century. 1t has been the one
sore spot for the prod OF his majesty's loyal OPP
position for wears. and it shows Improvement
II IS the white elephant handed down from
political generation to another, which will pass it
little smaller capital account and little
slower a going concern.
1t Is extremely gratifying. therefore, to be able
TO find here in Canada the 'one" which forms such
a contrast TO the sixteen
The Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway
was projected and bull by the provincial govern
ment. 1t is owned by the Province of Ontario, but
It is not managed by the government direct.
Profting by the sad experience of the Dominion,
the Premier Sir James Whiteney. selected sue
cessful retired business man who needed neither
the Job the money. His IS Engeharr. He
had no entangling alliances embarrassing poiu-
cal followers. There two other commissioners
practical railway men, but Englehart is the head
and always on the job. The heads and staff Of the
operating. traffic and mechanical departments were
recruited from the officials and employees of other
Canadian railways
When the faithful came to the commission seek
ing special favor, reduced rates refunds, they
surprised at the cooness of the atmosphere.
They went TO the government only to be told.
gently, OF course, tDat the commission WAS al
powerful Once in while a daring worker
would return to tho commission. They would begin
to point out that the commission was the creature
Of the government which they had placed in
power
About that time the semaphore would drop and
only red could be all down the line. Not
political soldier IN the Conservative ranks (and
many who had opposed them but would have
pocketed his pride and accepted annual on
the government line. but there was absolutely
nothing doing.
Sir James would say. sorrowfuly. that if he in
terfered Engehart would quit and the road fall
into long list of failures.
So in time the worker found that the Temiskam-
ing e Northern Ontario business prOpost-
tion. on business principles. The head office
was far from the government buildings, cut of.
isolated absolutely
Practical railway looked upon the PROPOSE
tion 20 build railway from comparatively small
town on Lake Nipissing into a wilderness as ut
terly absurd Only wilderness Of lake lands lay
between the starting point and Hudson Bay. where
the line would have 10 end These practical critics
had not reckoned the element OF chance IN a
country charged with mineral
Some seventy-five miles north of North Bay,
which the starting point. the line tapped.
opened and made accessible Temagami wild,
romantic region, which in six short summers has
become known TO hunters. fishermen and tourists
aIl over the continent
Taking traffic at North Bay from the Canadian
Pacific. east and west. and fed by the Grand Trunk
Railway system. which beguiled and gathered peo-
pie from Toronto. Detroit, Buffalo and all the
swetering, pulsatng south, the new line thrved on
tourists alone.
At Il point l0i miles north Of North Bay the
builders came a claim said to show rich silver
values. one day a blacksmith employed oy the
contractors threw a hammer at a passing cotton
tail. and chpped of a chunk of solid silver, which
eventually gave him fame and fortune beyond the
needs Of the average 'habitant."
one OF the contractors is now president OF the
mine. which is easily worth Sloooocoo together
with other properties controlled by the same cor
poratIon. and which would in all probability pay
fair return on double that amount At the end Of
its fourth shipping year Cobalt camp WAS pro-
duclng and putting out nearly 100000 annually.
Meanwhile the little railway keeps on improving
its roadbed and rolling stock. taking care OF all
the traffic that IL. and Is stu pushing on
toward Hudson Bay. Already IT has reached up
to Lake Abittn. TO the Grand Trunk Pacihc' the
rew transcontinenta' road now In course of con
struction from Halifax TO Prince Rupert, IN North
British Columbia.
A short way north Of Cobalt the Temlskarning a
Northern Ontario taps the Larder Lake gold fields,
into which branch line is to be built singular
fact in connection with these unique. not TO say
freakish fields is that there is dixie running al
most east and west crossing the railway north OF
Cobalt above which only gold has been discovered,
and below which all rich silver veins have been
found In the slide south something seems TO have
arrested the gold while suffering the silver TO slip
past.
North Of the gold fields the line traverses fine
tnbered district. The soil is clay, and 1t produces
excellent crops all kinds Although the seeding
season is q month later than in Southern Ontario
and Northern New York. by August the crops
further advanced than in the south. owing 10 the
long days and the hours of sunshine in the north
country.
These good fortunes have Of course. contributed
TO the success OF the government line. but even
these would the average state railway,
ruu as they often are with view TO the political
effect.
Now comes George Graham. Minister Of Rail-
WAYS In the Dominion government. making
heroic effort to separate the IntercOlonial from
poIitics The minister wanted to sell or lease the
line which ia the wise thing 10 do. since it was
costing the country $1,000 day to and operate
the road, but people who live along the line
put I'D a great protest They have been spoiled
for quarter of century. Now the blow that
felled the faithful in Ontario is about TO fan upon
the pampered and petted patrons of the Inter
colonial This road also been placed In the
hands of "A competelt commission, responsible to
the Minister of Railways. VINO Is. under the Cana
dian form OF government, responsible 10 Parlia-
ment
note the effect of this last move-the wisest that
could be made since the people not yet ready
10 part with their toy.
WANT ITNCH TO USE NEW FENDER.