The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-06
RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION IN
EUROPE. ...... ..
Gsv.rnmeataI railway Csa,rs,.

either through immediate ownership and
operation, a. In Germany. Belgium. Italy
and Switzerland: through direct owner
ship anI administration % part of the
lines ami guarantees TO the others. In
France. Austria. Hungary and Russia. or
hy dt-ect ownership and lease to oPer-
ating companies. a. In Holland
In Germany the railways are run to
make money. the not receipts of the
Prlssian lines contributing over one
fifth of the revenue % the Prlssian budget.
Here there il u strongly centralized Gov .
ernment headed by q ruler 81 tremendous
energy and great power among his people.
and the Germans ha we q genius for organ
izAtion and administration. Tho apprO-
pTiatiOns requested for the MAINTENANCE
and operation Of the railroads are rarely
OF never curtailed. but there 10 cheese
pairing In connection with improvements
and extensions. Into the actual working
organization % the railroads. politics
enters TO but = small sxtsnt Within
their limitations the railways are well
managed, hut these limita tions arc un-
duly cramped because tho Government
desires TO make a. much money Of than
a. possible. Criticisms Of the physical
in years not long past. and they arc
admittedly inadequate to tho demands
Of the present trafic. The proceeds Of
the large loan recently placed by tho
Government. not without dificulty. how
ever. are being used for extensions and inn
provements which will doubtless relieve
! the situation. A valid and prime criti-
cism Of the German railway policy would
seem to he that its tendency 10 TO hold
down the facilities TO the demands Of the
average shipper instead ~ keeping them
abreast of the larger scale OG operations
upon which men oG enterprise and energy
are eager to embark The business OF
the country in general has TO adapt itself
To the rates and practices OF the rail-
roads. which are OF a rigidity character
istic Of an autocratio Government One
Conspicuous exception 20 this statement
In the pronounced encouragement given
by the Government in the way OF reduced
rates On export traffic through the ports
to build up the foreign commerce &C the
empire.
In France. where the Government
guarantees returns on the capital. the
lines still administered by private cor
porations. with perhaps an exception or
two. are poorly equipped and badly man
aged. They are heavily taxed and heavily
burdened with service Of various kinds
which the Government exacts either
gratis OF at nominal rates. There 10
here also because OF tho Governmental
control n rigidity OF rates that has de-
| stroyed the incentive Of the railway man
agers To endeaVor 10 adjust rates to the
needs Of commerce that trafnc may be
developed. The lines directly owned
and operated by the Governments are in
still worse condition. Ii 10 the utmost
ambition Of untold thousands Of French
men 90 enter tho Governmental employ
This leads the political party in power
To incrrase the number Of Government
POSTS that its patronage may be aug
mented. and therefore the number OF
railway employees has been increased
beyond all reason. The pail Of bureau
cracy which - deePened by such realiza-
ton 81 socialistic aspiration AZ has been
attained in France tends 10 the stagna-
ton Of industry and commerce. Il tends
TO prevent that social advance which it
10 supposed to further Largely because
Of heedleas reckleasness in authorizing
public works OF various kinds. the inn
provement Of DOCKS and rivers the build
ing OF canals and extension OF railways,
the French Government has been brOugh
70 such a pass that IL has been compelled
10 borrow money to pay the interest on
its outstanding indebtedness while work
on the projects has stagnated because
Of the inability 10 raise the funds neces-
sary 10 their completion.
In Belgium. where the socialists hav aIso
attained large influence In the Government,
the situation II anything l. still worse
When there were both State owned aud
corporats owned railroads the operating
expenses OF the latter were much less and
their net revenue much larger than Of the
lines operated by the Government. A the
State came into possession OF the corporate
lines IL ~ said 20 have increased the num-
Der % employees three Co one An asso-
citation 81 prominent business men criti-
cises ths conduct Df the railroads a. dc
plorahy inefficient. saying that they are
administered ny Government officials
Whuse tenure 20 their OF. cr= CAUSES them
ITO care little whether the operation pro-
duces a surplus OF a deficit They have no
Incentive 20 further economies in practice
and are VIGOROUSLY waAtsful in their ex-
ISenditure~. erecting structures that are
not az all designed to meet the needs Of
the future The routine Of the admins
irative offices l. enseIoped in red tape.
For example, the dropping 81 lighted
match on the floor % a storshoIss Of EN-
ployees uniforms started a destructive
fire bnard 81 investigation instituted
a series Of hearings. 81 which eleven had
been held when the writer was in brussels.
Notwithstanding that the cause Of the fire
aud the extent II the damages were readily
ascertlIned the hearings continued.
Austria and Hungary are struggling
with the difficulties that b-set an unde-
veIopcd but an advancing industry and
commerce. the processes Of which ara
being conducted by o mixture Of races
between which remains more or lees
bitterness Of fssling IL In necessary.
for example. that to reach all the various
grades and kinds % employees a railway
rule OF regulation be published in seven
different languages. To have railroads
At all u was necessary for these States