The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-07

f1to8 = mhlo Ncto hf1nsoo -
disc coming In bulk from foreign oountriss
than on that loaded piecemeal from places
Of production In England. =.
! These seeming anomalies early attracted
public attention. giving rise 70 the same
cutlery as to unjust Discrimination that
persisted for 30 long in the United states
/ Regulatory IegislasiOn was enacted. ana
judicial decisions have allowed. AZ In the
United States. that under certain condl-
| tons such Determinations are not unjust
but justified. Law. however. has followed
/ law giving Parliament such complete con-
troll over the operations OF the railways
that il 10 commended by many that Ia the
end in fairness To the shareholders the
State will he Obliged 60 purchase the rail-
ways and operate them itself. The Eng
lish railways are. however. free to agree
a. TO rates and enter into pooling arrange
mentA. perhaps the larger part Of the com
petitivs traffic Of the country now being
Carried under pooling contracts.
! Certain IL 10 that the railroads Of England
at this time are heavily burdeDed. They
have never gone through the drastic re-
organizations such a. followed receiver-
ships in the United States scaling down
the capitalization OF the railroads Of this
country until at this time the net average
IL less than 60. 900 a mile. In the capital
/ ization OF the English railways still stand
the enormous initial expenditure. to-
gethsr with vast expenditures for inn
/ provements and betterments such a. the
American railroads have charged 60 our
rent earnings but the British railroads TO
capital until the capital account Of the
railroads Of England now averages about
s3ls OO0 a mile. These railroads are also
subject to heavy taxation. the Govern
! mental levy Of about per cent. on the
Passenger fares being small part. There
is a separate levy by each parish. often so
high that the railroads pay the greater
proportion Of the entire taxation This
il even the case in one IA rish where the
one railroad cuts across one corner. doing
but little business an the community the
greater part Of whose IA ration il pays.
Competition between the railways has
led to different results from those in the
United States. In the latter country 10
has caused low rates for long distances.
the extension OF reconsignment. mill
ing in transit privileges. and the like.
in the former TO the collection OF mer-
chandise OF the higher classes from the
place Of business OF the consignor and
their delivery TO the place Of business Of
the consiRnee the railroads having horses
and vans for performing this service for
which no fee il made in addition TO the rail
transportation charge.
This competition has led to another
development which has modified the
system Of commercial distribution. No
place in England IL more than ninety
miles from the sea. II place in the in
terror IL ninety miles from the sea on one
side IL il therefore but ninety miles from
, the sea on the other SIDE. This empha-
sizes the fact that an transportation must
h. for short distances. the average haul
throughout the country for minerals
being PERHAPS not more than thirty
and for merchandise probably not more
than fifty miles. IL would seem that
the charges Ola this short distance trafic.
! that which moves twenty or thirty miles
or even IN some cases for somewhat
| greater distances. are le-s than those
I for similar distances la TN" United States.
> - pe"ially Il comparison - made with
! the rates 1T the express , ompanies. which
carry much Of rha; which Corr-spunds to
the short distance high class merr handise
rrafic Of England. For greater dis
tance- the rates Of the English railways
are probably something like thre- times
those OF the United States Even hi
luminous coal pays q rate of about one
cent a mile IN the channels of greatest
movement When comparison j. made
with high class articles the difference 10
markedly in favor Of the United States,
a shipment Of malleabIs iron castings
from Springfield. Ohio. to Bradford
for example. having paid higher trans
portation charge from Liverpool tn Brad
ford than from Springfield To Liverpool
The proximity ~ nearly every place
IN England ~ two or more ports and the
desire Of the railway serving each port
10 Increase the traftic th@refror naturally
CAUSED rivalry bstwesn the different rail
ways ia the interest ~ the ports raspec-
uy-ly served 10y them. \ large incoming
vessel brings a cargo 20 greater quantity
than the manufacturers or merchants
can conveniently absorb at one time.
70 accommodate the traders u the in
terror the railroad companies have
erected warehouses and gained control
of docks at tho ports in which they store
for the importers At a nominal charge. and
II places often for a considerable time
without any charge az all. inbound car
ruAliiugtAN &Te Ildue
from time to time TO the traders IN such
quantities a. they desire A merchant in
the interior. for example. AZ BirminE-
nam or Leeds. VINO until so recently az a
dozen years ago kept large or fairly
large stock - merchandise az his place
u business. now keeps but small
stock. frequently replenishing IL 10y orders
made often by telegraph or by telephone
This development has forced the railways
to the greatest speed in their deliveries
and has necessitat~d their continuing TO
use the small trucks never holding more
than eight or ten tons. a train load Of
which presents an incomprehensible
spectacle u the American who sees them
for the first time after being accustomed
To the tremendous cars and great trains
~ his Own country.
Nv actual counting "a has been found
that % the 1000 or more shipments made
from a London freight station IN a single
right over three-fourths did not exceed