Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-16

going to confiscate the line the old di-
rectors argued, there is no use IN re
pairing it or changing the rolling stock.
They did not do SO, and the result today
is that some S10o,OOO,O0O worth Of repairs
and improvements have accumulated.
The government was forced to interfere
in the management of the Western rail-
way AS the road was rapidly going from
bad to worse, complaints from all over
the west of France poured In. 1t was even
difficult to do business in the area served
by this company. In order to save the
situation the government decided first TO
simply guarantee the interest on the com
panys stock. The result of this blunder
was that the directors Of the road saw
that they could make more money py
running the line a a further loss, forcing
the government each year to make up the
shortage. than by making the railroad
pay very small dividend by strict econ
omy In other words the company dl-
rectors scientifically bled the state.
j:
To prevent the government from de-
tending itself by confiscatins the line and
taking it over at the valuation Of experts.
these directors. with incarnate shrewd
ness unloaded the company's stock, guar
anteed by the government. on the small
merchant and peasant class throughout
the whole west of France. Once this was
sons, was poweress. Had parliament de-
cided on confiscat ton. taking over the line
at its proper value. all the stock in tie
hands Of the peasants and small mer-
There might even have been an upris-
ing in the country and no end Of trouble
For political reasons. therefore, the gov
eminent decided to protect the rairoa d 8
stock, with the result that the former
directors of this wrecked railroad are
among the richest men in France.
When finally the Western railway wa :
taken over by the government the old
directors had so juggled the figures as
to give the railway a fictitious value.
Experts are still trying to unravel the
tangle. and 1t is estimated that not un-
til 1885 will the railroad be paid for and
the accounts closed.
When the government took over the line
two years ago there was anarchy every
where The stock Of coal was enough
only for fifteen days, whereas today the
normal supply is for 40 days. Between
four and five thousand cars were absc-
lutely unusable. which Is saying n good
deal for France, where locomotives pull
anything that viii roll.
According to NJ. Besnard, A deputy the
amount of money set aside for track re-
pairs during the ten years preceding the
purchase fell from $l.4O0.O00 annually TO
less than 100000. While the receipts of
the railroad rose so per cent and the dis
lance covered by locomotives increased
G. per cent. the number of new locomo-
tives increased only % per cent. Today,
in spite Of q sincere effort on the part
of the government. the state railway
is still short of locomotives. short of
cars and short Of sdings for the shunt-
ing of cars.
In order not to be accused of exagge-
ration the writer quotes a few lines from
the official report Of NJ. Besnard OF the
budget commission. presented to the
chamber Of deputies.
During the four years from 1902 to
1906 the Western railway acquired only
one locomotive. At present the state
lacks $50 machines to handle the traffic
effectively. Two hundred and sixty are
ordered and 100000 are set aside for
this.
The system lacks 25s passenger cars,
forty baggage cars and 4. 600 freight cars.
Eight more millions will be necessary to
pay for them. Rails must be replaced
along over 1900 miles OF track. and
1,4JO miles will have to be rebuilt, or.
rather, strengthened; 49, 10000 will be
necessary for this, OF which sum S.. 400 0O0
represents a legacy from the old CONF
pany Indispensable repairs to old ma