The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-21

sistent in the public press and the
matter is referred to here, not with
any lea of combating this propagan-
da, but merely that the people may
briefly see both sides of the picture.
So long as a lot Of men welcome the
wreck: of the railroads on the the
DRY that the government will take
them over and that such a state OF
affairs would be preferable to private
ownership. it would be impossible to
obtain from them a fair judgment OF
t latter system which now prevails
in the United States. 1t is impossible
to go into this great question at any
length at this time, but here are a
few things worth thinking about.
Much has been said in recent years
about the water" contained in Amer
lean railroad securities. and. in this
connection, the value of the govern
ment owned railroads of Europe Is
very interesting. In Germany the
state owned roads are capitalized at
$114,1S5 per mile, in Austria at $780,
se2, in Hungary at $69,21O, in Italy
at s126,sS6, in Belgium at $19O,O14.
in Switzerland at $1O2,S50, in Rou-
mania at $9O,1l3, in Japan at $S8,104.
in New South Wales $71,391-while
the private ,wneC lines OF the Unit
ed States, regardless of what water
may have been forced into them in
spec instances. at capitalized at
only $63,944 per mile Whatever in
fiation may therefore have been put
into these properties in the past the
fact emains. that their present valu-
alton much lower than that of the
government owned railroads of Eu-
rope, and what is still more import
ant, the rates charges are the lowest
and the service rendered admittedly
the best in the world.
In this connection a statement con-
tanned in the last annual report Of the
Deutsche Bank of Berlin which has a
paid up capital and reserve fund OF
s75,OOO,000, is interesting: american
railroads need higher rates. The pres
ent rates are the lowest in the world
representing but a fraction OF the
ENGLISH railroad rates, for instance
and this in face of the fact that wages
i'm the United States or an average
are fully twice as high as in Europe"
c, rtainly this view Of the privately
owned lines Of the United States. COM
ing from Gel ny, which is the most
successful state owned system OF
transportation in the world, is worthy
of grave consideration.
Letting We'll Enough Alone.
In view of these facts. the average
citizen may well ask himself whether
it is not best to let we'll enough alone
rather than invite other ills we know
not of-whether it is not wiser to cure
such defects as may cucumber the pres
ent system rather than run the danger
of plunging this mighty industry into
the whirlpool of party politics for all
time with it's attendant opportunity for
evil of which the past affords such rich
variety of experience. The United
States is still a young country, and in
many sections only partially developed.
Many new lines and extensions are
needed here and there to give wider
opportunity to expanding agriculture
and commerce. and nothing could be
more unfortunate or disastrous than
that these favors could henceforth be
obtained only by leave of the dominant
political factions which will reign at
the national capital in the years 10
come. Political parties are intensely
human institutions, and the average
cautious citizen will prefer to leave the
railroad expansion of the future to the
economic law of supply and demand OF
r. 1I1nitiaC rather than
to place such temptation for power
in the hands of those who rise and IalI
in the field of politics. Furthermore,
should the time ever come when the
government takes over the railroads.
it means that the people will have to
forego the millions of taxes which they
now pay and which help to support the
public schools. public highways. and
other public expenses. Many other
things could be said upon this phase OF
the question, but space forbids.
For some time the government.
through the interstate commerce COM
mission. has been engaged in making
a physical valuation of all railroads
as a matter of guidance for future rate
adjustments. Again, We repeat, since
the people absolutely control and regu-
late the railroads, is that not enough
Will it not be better to let well enough
alone-to cling to that which is good
and eliminate that which is bad In
the present system which. with all that
has been said against 1t, furnishes the
best and cheapest transportation SER
vice in the world? E.s~ -ef-
Increased Cost of Operation.
We now wish to refer briefly to an
other phase of the problem. For a
number of years the cry of the high
cost of living" has been everywhere
abroad in the land. Time was, not SC
many years ago, when the farmer
sold his corn at Is cents per bushel
Now it brings from SO cents to rs
cents. So, too. he sold hogs at 8
cents per pound, which now readily
bring from Z to 10 cents-while q
good steer calf. which used to bring
$40 to $12. now sells from $40 to $25