New-York tribune., 1918-01-06
Bv p. w. Wilson i.

fSneciol Correspondent of the Lon
'N' don Daily NeWs.
n view If the Presidents speech on
u. railroad problem, It may interest
rour readers if tell at first hand how
..o government of Great Britain.
nbencc I sailed fortnight ago, dealt
9TH the same matter. When war broke
o,+ y soon became clear that the trans
no~. of troops and munitions would in
,olve the Treasury in huge liability
.. tho companies, and it was therefore
arranged that all the systems should
20 oneratcd by one committee of man.
.cers and :hat the shareholders should
recejvc during the period of control the
o,srsoe dividend which had been de-
Jared for the previous three years.
This control was afterwards extended
:, .he deep level tubes and more an
;sn. electrified underground railroads
- London and few weeks ago Sir Al
bsrt Stanley, of the Board of Trade,
worked out scheme for unifying con-
..., of surface cars on the streets of
II our cities, some of them owned by
.ompanics and others by municipali-
ties.
The advantage of this scheme is that
- secures entire freedom OF manage
ment for the state, without the risk of
immediate and formal purchase.
Purchase Not Practical in War
Railroads in the United Kingdom are
eapitalized approximately at six billion
dollars, and if SO large an amount of
government paper were added during
the war to other government loans
there MIGHT be tendency to sell which
would embarrass our sinking fund pro-
vision. The companies. therefore, re-
main in being, but on terms which after
the war will enable the state, by a sim
ple arithmetical process, to exchange
,beir securities for the equivalent in
Treasury stock.
This stock would then rank with the
rest of our national debt. The share
holders have had no reason to COM
olaiu. for they arc getting their pre-
war dividends, and the only grievance
arises in the case Of certain companies
that, like the Great Central, have long
routes, recently opened up, the value
Of which will only develop as years
20 on.
Having obtained control, the state
authorized drastic changes in manage
ment. Competing express trains were
eliminated. Even long distance trav-
ellers have had to stand for hours in
corridors. High speeds were relaxed.
Not only was the building of locomo-
tives largely suspended, but hundreds
Of engines we're exported to France
and even Egypt, to make good wastages
suffered by our ally and to work the
extended railroads to connect up with
Palestine.
Passenger Fares Raised
Somehow or other, passenger travel
Ing at home had to be cut down, and
the method adopted was to raise fares
Our standard rate is two cents a mile
third class, with four cents a mile first
class. But before the war these nom
nal or parliamentary rates were a
maximum only. Season ticket holders
enjoyed liberal discount. All over
the country we had cheaper. weekend
tickets and thousands of excursion
trains at holiday seasons to race meet
ings. TO football and cricket matches
and to pleasure resorts. Not only have
I'll these concessions been cancelled.
has been raised to three cents for all
save The shortest distances. Only 100
pounds Of baggage may now be carried
by travellers, unless they are about to