OCR Text |
Show ' ABE RAILWAYS HIGHWAYS. . . . Frederick : Palmer , reviews in Collier's for February'iH-the Congressional efforts to make new laws on railroad rates, and works -put some interesting comparisons, such, as:, . , ., . . In France-- the' railways are mostly owned by companies. Yet not only are the charges for carrying freight stipulated stipu-lated by-the -Government, but Government Control Is far more exacting than anything any-thing we have proposed. The public U satisfied and the rairrnads do not think of complaining, any more than express companies com-panies In the Fnited States thi'ik of complaining com-plaining because they do not have charge cf the postal business. Continental countries hold that und--r modern conditions the railroad is In the same relation to the public as a highway was a .century ago. The idea that the lracadamired roads of France should lie entirely In the control of private companies compa-nies would be little more ridiculous to a Frenchman than that the railroads should be their own Judge of rates. Ju the Northeastern States of America -we now' have much tho 'same condition ias ln Europe. Certain railroad systems ihave settled down to a monopoly as absolute abso-lute as the prlvllepe'of the Government to sell postage stamps.' Th Pennsylvania - railroad has it In Pennsylvania, the Central Cen-tral has It in New York, while the New England ' ronds -practically divide their, territory. Parallel competing roads are now out of the question. In the first place, ! railroad Influence -In Ihe. State legislature legisla-ture would not permit of concessions. If It would, the waste of energy represents a folly bevond consideration. As no man , thinks of driving In a buggy from Albany to New York, or of sending a crate of grapes bv cart from Lake Erie to Boston, the public finds Itself feudally dependent uoon a-corporation. '.. The ' Constitution expressly provided urainet Imposts being laid on internal commerce bv-the States. Its authors did not foresee the time 'when that commerc e wonlfTbe Jn the hands of a few "kings" of finance. Of course, the railroads charge "what the traffic will bear." It is good business no one blames them. The blame Is on the people for letting them have their own way. The control of the highways, high-ways, upon which all traffic Is dependent, would seem a first principle of well-organised government. |