The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-23
| =. Finance, Real Estate Insurance =.
RAILROAD OWNERSHIP
AND THE WAR

RAILROAD OWNERSHIP
AND THE WAR
The wonderful mobility of the war
materials of Europe in the present
struggle. both as to men, the NUM-
lions and supplies. is explained IN
some degree at least, by statement
made before the class in international
Trade and Commercial Geography OF
the National City Bank Of New York,
a part Of its educational course of the
present year. According to this state
ment. about two-thirds Of the railways
of the countries at war are owned ana
In most cases operated by the govern
xnents controlling the territory IN
which they exist.
The railways Of the countries at war,
said the lecturer, amount to 2oo,oos
miles, and about 125, 900 miles are gov
eminent owned and operated. In the
case Of the Allies the railways amount
to about 130, 600 miles and about 40 per
cent. are government owned. In the
case of the Central Powers, the rail-
ways Of the territory which they con-
troll aggregate about $4,000 miles and
are practically all under government
control in one way or another. In the
case OF Germany, practically all OF her
10000 miles are government owned
and Ioperated. In the case of Austria
hungary nearly all Of the $4,000 miles
are government owned or controlled.
OF the 1000 miles in Turkish territory,
only a small proportion are owned by
the government, but most Of the mile
i<. 106 hu
In the area which has come under
German control since the beginning of
the war, Belgium, parts of France and
Rnasia, and certain Balkan territory,
the railways aggregate about 5000
miles and are now entirely under mil
fary control In, France only about
5000 OF the $1,000 miles are govern
ment owned and operated. though the
government has close relations with a
largo part Of the remainder by reason
OF the special terms under which they
were constructed In italy about 5000
OF the LOCO miles are government
ccnttONed; in Russia about two-thirds
Of the $1,000 miles are government
owned, and In most cases operated.
In tho United Kingdom none Of the
$4,000 miles are government owned
or operated
Europe as q whole, said the lecturer,
has about 10000 miles Of railway. Of
which approximately 10000 is govern
ment owned or controlled, and about
10000 privately owned. It happens.
however, that the area in which the
military operations are in progress has
the greatest density Of railways in the
world Belgium had before the war
about 4S miles OF railway for each 100
square miles Of territory; the part Of
France now occupied by Germany
about 30 miles per 100 square miles;
Germany as whole -; Austria Hun
gary about IL: France as whole
about Is; Italy 10: Great Britain 10:
European Russia about two miles; and
Europe as a whole slightly less than
SIX miles Of railway for each 100 square
miles OF territory.
In the Americas, the United States
has about nine miles Of line per 100
square miles OF territory: Mexico, Ar
gentina and Uruguay about two miles
each; and Canada about one mile for
each 100 square miles. Of the 10000
miles Of railway In Canada, about 1900
Is government owned; OF the 5000
miles in Mexico about IL, 600 is owned
or controlled by the government; OF
the 5000 miles In Brazil about 1000
are governmental; and Of the d, 900 in
Argentina about $500 are government
owned. In India $4,000 Of the IS, 900
miles belong to the government; of
the 1000 miles in Japan and Corea
about 5000 miles are under the gov
ernment; and OF the 1900 miles in
Australia and New Zealand, all but
1000 miles are governmental
OF the 100. 900 miles Of railway in the
world about ohe-third is owned by
governments: in Europe about So per
cent are government owned or con-
tro1led: Asia IS per cent; Africa so
per cent Oceania 30 per cent: South
America 80 per cent; and North Amer
lea five per cent. In the United States
there are no government owned rail-
ways, except the line now under con-
strucdon in Alaska. Our own rail-
miles in length and form. nearly 40 per
ways, the lecturer said, are 270. 900
cent OF those Of the entire world. the
next in rank in mileage being Russia
5000 miles. Germany 10000. India 35.-
900, France $4,000, Canada 80, 900. Aus
tria-Hungary 5000, Great Britain "a
900. Argentina 21,0o0 Australia 20. 600.
Mexico 10000. Brazil $4,000. Italy II 900.
British South Africa II 900, Spain 10
600, Sweden 5000. Japan 1nc1uding Co.
rea) 1000, China 5000, Belgium 5000
Chile 1000.