The Washington herald., 1915-10-24

But with the continents pressing need
for better transportation facilities, the
governments seem to retard rather than
to further the interests OF the ROADS.
For instance, in Argentina, 1t appears
that a statute, known as the Mitre
Law" is in force in the republic, under
the terms of which any railroad COM
pany that will agree to devote per cent
of its proceeds to a fund for the con-
struction and maintenance of country
highways shall be exempt from national,
provincial and municipal taxation. This
law was intended to provide the good
roads that the republic so much needs.
and which the railroads are so eager to
see constructed, because good roads
there, as here, put money in the rail-
road till.
Altogether the Mitre law looked so
good to the railroads that they lost no
time in accepting its provisions. But
alas, for corporate credulity. No sooner
had the railroads bound themselves to
abide by the provisions of the Mitre law
than they found that there were so many
charges that are not taxes" in the legal
sense of the word, that their last state
was worse than the first.
While the railroad Arrangements were
still casting about for some form OF
words that would adequately express
their feelings, Congress passed bill pro-
viding pensions for railroaL employees,
to be paid out of the railroad treasury, Of
course, for the labor vote" is as potent
south of the equator as north. The
president lost no time in promulgating
the law. Now the railroads. are planning
to contest the constitutionality OF the
pension law, on the ground that it con-
hicts with the provisions OF the Mitre
law. No one, of course, can foresee the
outcome; but up to date no United States
railroad executives have placed any bets
on their Argentine colleagues.
In these days, transportation means
railroads. National development and ma
tional prosperity are not possibleIso long
as the only means of Communication are
those provided by the mule or the canoe.
The real growth of this nation did not
begin until the dawn of the railroad era.
without railroads there would be no
United States. Without railroads the
southern states would have succeeded in
setting I'D a separate government. With
out railroads the Pacific Empire" pro-
posed in California before the building
of the first transcontinental line was
seriously undertaken, would have been
established. The marvellous development
of the Pacific coast has all taken place
within the half century since the first
.through-train from Omaha rolled into
Oakland.
The relation of railroads to national
progress is no less impressively shown
in South America. Argentina has
greater railroad mileage than any other
nation on the continent, although in pro-
portion to its area Argentina has less
than one-fourth the mileage Of a cor
responding area in this country. Because
it is comparatively wen supplied with
transportation Argentine is the richest
Dor, Uruguay, which is also comparative
ly we'll supplied with railroad. is the
second richest nation per capita
Neither Argentina NOT Uruguay has
anywhere near the amo2nt of railroad
mileage needed for the development Of
the country. AS for the other nations,
railroad building can sctrcely be said
to have been begun. In all the enormous