L
12
The Commoner.
volctmb4,;number 34
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Year.
1840..
1848. .
1850..
18G0. .
1870. .
1880..
1888..
1900..
out of fifty-two nations of the world
havo adopted tlio policy of govorn
mont ownorsliip in wnoio or m part, if
twenty-ouo countries own all their
railroads, if this condition has been
brought about not suddenly but after
caretui trial, it 4 follows without dls
. cussion or other testimony that It
must be a success and I am at loss
to know what argument can prevail
against this test of experience. This
condition does, exist, and it has been
an unqualified and uniform success
undor all conditions and with all kinds
of governments from the dospotlc
monarchy of Russia to the referendum
governed republic of Switzerland. It
has been a success in new and un
settled countries like Australia, Africa,
and South America, as well as in
thickly populated and fully developed
. countries llko Belgium, Germany and
Austria.
Belgium was the nrst country to
build and operate railroads on gov
ernment account, commencing in 1834.
Austria followed four years later, but
in 1848 sold out to private companies.
Russia built a railroad from St. Peters
burg to Moscow in 1851 but sold it to
a ..private company In 18C0. Botli of
theso countries repented tho error
later and in 1870 when so many other
countries eutercd upon the policy of
slate ownorsliip they commenced to
repurchase and now each owns sub
stantially all Its railroads. From that
time on the policy gained ground with
every acquisition ana on every Rand
" until the present time, and now among'
others Prussia is about to purchase
all the railroads not already owned by
the government.
Switzerland bought all lior roads at
once ilvo years ago aud issued bonds
therefor at V& per cent. Prussia pur
chased its railroad part at a time and
when interest rates were highor and is
sued bonds mostly at 4 per cent. Bel
gium got Its roads at about cost. Ger
many paid such an enormous price
that In Bomo cases Investors received
16 per cent on their investments, or
In other words, thoy received four
times the cost of their railroad stock
in 4 per cent bonds. (Enc. Brit., Vol.,
20, page 251.) The Australian coun
tries bought first the railroads that
had been extended so far into unset
tled territories tltat thoy were unable
to pay running expenses, extended
them farther built up a business, set
tlod the country and havo already
made them 'SO valuable Consul Gen-
eral Marata, in the report hereafter re
ferred to, says that they would sell for
more than the national debt. France
in 1878 took the first five roads out
of bankruptcy and. soon made them
profitable, and generally the nrst pur
chases of governments have been of
railroads which were a financial fail
ure in private hands. As a financial
success , government ownership out
ranks private ownership beyond com
parison. Our experience with the pos
tal system Indicates what this govern
ment could accomplish with the Bame
economy applied to the operation of
railroads.
s
The following table shows the
growth and development of .govern
ment ownership by decades. The year -
1848 is added to show the falling "off 1
caused by Russia and Austria dispos
ing of their small" holdings at that
. time-to private companies. The year
1S38 Is Substituted for IKUft "houce
that is the year in w)iich tho Frencn Berria
! Africa
government collected and published
such full statistics on the subject:
No. of Miles
countries owned by
owning govern-
failroadss ments.
.':. 2 495
.-.'.""3 ' " 987
. .'. .3t 470
.". .' (J 730
. . .14 3,500
..124 . 29,074
...31 - 167,813
...42 " 167,813
Tho foregoing taore Js compiled
from figures given in Encyclopedia
Brittanica, volume 20, page 251, title
Railroads; Mulhall's Dictionary, ex
Governor JL.arrabee'3 book, The Rail
road Question, and The Annals o the
American Acadamy ofPbilaclelphfa.
Tho following table showing gov
ernment and private ownership by
countries is taken from Senate Docu
ment 53, first session of fifty-sixth con
gress. I have made but one change,
and that is to transferall tho mileage
of France to tho public ownership col
umn, for the reason that tho table
shows that France has purchased the
roads to bo delivered at the end of a-
certain period, and furthermore, at
tho time of the purchase France Se
cured a control which amounts to ac
tual possession today. I am sure that
later statistics will very greatly in
crease the public ownership column
and decrease the private ownership.
In overy instance where I am in pos
session of later statistics the change
since this table has been compiled
(1900) shows an uninterrupted increase
in public ownership. For instance,
this table gives 795 miles private own
ers, whereas later writers treat Bel
glum as one of the countries owning
all her roads.
Govern-
Private ment
Countries. miles. miles.
1 Alsace-Loraine V . 1,078 , 981
Austria-Hungary 6,265 12,350
Baden ,034
Bavaria 573 3,034-
Belgium '.'.' '7So ' - 2,044
Brazil V 13,580
Brunswick .. 302
Bulgaria .- v 600
Cape of Good Hope.r. 254 -. 2,550
Ceylon .. f "t ' - 297
Chili.. , . ? S82D - 4,57J)
Colombia , ... . .. ;-.',-. ';. -. ' V' - . 670
Denmark ?i;'. . ., 367 " - 3..067
Dutch 'East Indies .30.0 . , 993
Equador l.'. 53
Egypt 1,369
England 21,277
Finland ;....... 1,485
France 22,700
Germany 2,817 26,085
Greece. . '. 59-
Guatemala lbO
India...., ' 2,950 17,440
Italy.- 2,900 - 5,321
Japan ; v 1,873 . 631
Mexico.. . .,. . .'. 7,380 "
Natal "' 402
Netherlands . . ; .""". 801 898
New South Wales.... 2,639
New Zealand 167 , . '2,918
Nicaragua 91-;
Norway v 1,020
Parauguay 156
Pew r.. ...... .. 124
Portugal , 539
Queensland.
Roumania
15 ri
J.VU0V1A. 4
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HrJ-ilHl Mi.. w 1. outn Australia-;
. fUHTiicv nmti j
Snain !T. ssrGZT
Hn4uA Aha4 nolill Aau $ a I - a.lt f 4. J "
UMMNr-iMMt'MrvMi nMiMaMu.i .rr-J .lwltzerland -. I ..-. . ' ', .-r -r --
mrmrmrwm -. -..- o www -W WMaWVDUinTlUlt nWUl 1A I
lw. JnwioAUtiely Tfeitevea mkI ateAliitAiv jhupab TasmAwia.
.if . ekX - . . w 1 j- iv
xnmwmwofk nuuueacy. uo&tttpatlott .
catarrh or the Mucous Membranes. It isa poe
Itf re ptciflo lor Contrestod Liver and Kidneys
and Inflammation of Bladder, tones tho Appe
tite and Nervous System, and purities ana
nrlohe the Blood. '
twenty-Ave cents at Drugstores faralarsra
battle, usual-Hollar size, but a. trial bottle -will
19 8$ttt.fre an prepaid to every reader of this
papfwlmfHMKlaltatid writes fer it to Drake
, . Vj k A
"Twrkyi,.-...'.,.,. 2,542
Venezuela . .
Victoria .,.
West Australia... 4J ' 351
8,00
91,4
t2,43(T
1,831,
20,758 .:
S54
1,000
1,S63J
232
2,351
. . 47
406
3,122
970
Total miieasro JD,854 167,813
In view .of this-woHOerrul crowtli nf
FrMulaCjwiy,I)rakQBuilllng,Clilcwo. 111. government ownership it is. perhaps
unnecessary to quote authorities to
fihowthat the policy is a success, hut
I will quote briefly from a few persons
of unquestionable knowledge and re
liability., 'Among the following quota
tions) those from consuls can be found
in. tho House .Mia. Doc. 2nd Sess., 53d
Cong., Vols. 45 and "46.
"It is, however, improbable that the
people concerned will ever allow this
great possession (the railways) to vpass
again into private hands." (Daniel
Marata, consul general at Melbourne.)
. "In recent years a tendency has
strongly developed in Russia as well"
as in other countries of continental
liJurope which alms at changing pri
vate ownership of railways into state
ownership. One by one private rail
way lines have thus been falling under
full control of the Russian government
befng thus absorbed in the state rail
way .system. In the course of tho
present year (1894) no less thaV ten
different lines have been transferred'
from private owners to the govern
ment and on the first of January the
greatest of the remaininK lines is ex
pected to follow suit." (Charles Jonas,
consul general at St. Petersburg.)
"It is impossible to trace, however
briefly, the history of French rail
roads wfthout being impressed, with
tho intimate relation of government
with the system. From tho verv first
there has prevailed the idea of ulti
mate state ownership." (Fr&nlQ H.
MasonA consul general, Frankfort.)
"Since then (1871) the progress of
railroads has been rapid and the de
sirability of government ownership
has not been seriously questioned."
(Helen Page Bates on Australian
railways, in Ann. Am. Acadmy, Vol.
12.) .
"Prussian theory places railroads in
one category, ordinary business in the
other. We have, until recently, in
sisted upon their essential similarity
Prussian history establishes the sound
ness of the first and tho falsity of the
second theory. Continental JEurope
recognized the danger of laissez faire
in railroad business much earlier
than America." (Prof. B. H. Myers,
of Wisconsin S. U. I., in Ann. of Am.
Academy,, Vol. 12.)
"Within the Jast few months I have
had occasion to meet men from both
these countries (Australia and Now
South Wales) who are thoroughly well
informed not only as to the operar
Hon Of the railroads but as to the
sentiment of their people and I was
assured that the. idea of discontinuing
public ownership and allowing .the
railroads to pass again Into private
hands would find no support in pub
lic opinion or he regarded as among
future possibilities." (M. A. Knapp,'
chairman international state com
merce commission, m Ann. of Am.
. Academy, Vol. 19, page 72.)
Speaking of the movement for gov
ernment ownership throughout tho
world Chairman- Knapp in the same
article says: "On the whole the ten
dency is strongly toward government
ownership.1'
It will thus ITe seen that'.govefnment
ownership of railways Is -not a new
Issue, and it is not socialistic. The
united States sunreme rnnrf ,,
ery state in the union "has held that
railways are simply improved high
ways" and when built by private com
panies Is 'done by virtue of powers
delegated from the government
In overy country whero tho niiM '
has been started it is at the present
U1UD UD,U6 yuoiieu 10 complete own or-
-,v. "v u.o wyua no coruscation
no condemnation, and no Mttgationto
spealc of It has ajl been accompnahed
by negotiation and purchase. What
forty-two of the principal countries of
?m world . have accompushed with
nothing but the very best or results I
fwao man will say that the
United Stai.es could not do ,egUany
In answer, to the objection .'that the
incraaaad natrnnaM wm.i.4 .
z 7 " --" "wuw exert an
undue influence in pontics it is Buf.
ficient to quote the words of Chair
man Knapp in the article referred to
"We may well -question whether
government ownership would under
Any circumstances introduce into our
politics a more dangerous or vicious
force than the railways now exert."
At most the railway employes couid
do no more than give an unuuo
strength to tho policies' and principles
of. thff party in power. They would,
part of the time at least, favor good
laws. As It is riow, xtho whole nowor
is exerted for themselves and against
the best interests of tho whole peo
ple. Certainly we would have no more
railway lobbies, no. more scandals in
tho election of United States senators
and other officers.- We would see an
immediate end of thegreat corruption
funds which have so successfully con
trolled elections and nullified the will
of the people.
Remove this one influence rrom me
manipulation of our elections and we
shall experience the good results of a
free expression of the will of the peo
ple, at the polls such "as has not been
felt for more than a quarter of a cen
tury if not longer.
This has been the experience of oth
er nations. Immediately upon its
adoption has -followed the perfection
of the civil service laws.. The whole
power -of the railway employes has
been uniformly thrown in that direc
tion with Irresistible force. As I said
in the Waterloo speech:
"The railroads, are therefore the
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