The Westminster Review

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III

and Smith.

4. Fifth Report of the Select Committee on Railways.

5. Railway Chronicle-Railway Times.

boast of the men who have given such an example for the world, but the objects achieved are as nothing to those which may yet be attained, when the causes of retardation shall be removed.

It is important to remark, that hitherto all the progress made has been the work of private individuals, and not of the government. 'The inherent energy of the English people forestals the sluggish movements of the rulers, who have ever been retarders rather than promoters of improvement. The government is, in truth, rather a police establishment for the prevention of coarse violence, than a Board of wise and skilful Direction. The history of steam navigation is one proof amongst many, of this. When steam vessels had become common in the

MARVELLOUS as is the change which has been wrought in the condition of mankind by the agency of the printing press, not eless marvellous will be the result of railways, when they shall emerge from their present cramped condition into full development. Writing and printing are mediums mercantile navy, their introduction as war of thought, but they are slow and imperfect vessels was resisted; and to the incessant processes, compared with speech. The exertions of one man, in the employ of the press and the post-office link mind to mind, merchant princes of Leadenhall street,

but do not thoroughly unite them. The railway serves to unite both mind and matter, and to draw the ends of the earth together. He who looks on the realities of nature and art, makes more rapid progress than he who studies their written or printed descriptions. The road is the first work, a newspaper the second, in all new settlements. It is the office of the railway to perfect the civilisation, which the road and

against all the Admiralty influence, was it owing that steam vessels existed in India, to produce a successful termination to the Chinese war. The history of canal navigation is another proof. The genius of a Duke of Bridgewater verified the assertions of Brindley, that "rivers were made to feed canals." It is upon record, that the same Duke of Bridgewater, when congratulated by Lord Kenyon on the successful issue of

the press have commenced. How much his scheme, made answer with far-sighted has already been done by English railways shrewdness, "We shall do well enough if to increase our national wealth and national we can keep clear of those tramroads." happiness, we do not now stop to inquire. Russian Peter would not have lost the hearGreat it has been, and prou may be the ing of such a hint.

Tramroads increased, and steam engines|mile-that law charges have extended from drew coals thereon; but still the govern-9001. to 25001. per mile that Lords and ment could not read the signs of the coming Commons have alike plundered them, in the times. Tramroads grew into railroads; but shape of land compensation, and in the buywhen the Liverpool and Manchester line ing off of opposition. For all this the public was completed, still was the government must pay, either directly or indirectly, and inert. The public welfare required that the we do not well see how the public can future highways of the country should not avoid paying for other kinds of waste, for the become monopolies, but they were abandon- shareholders may fairly allege that it was ed to private enterprise, and their undertak- no fault of theirs; that great as has been the ers were, in turn, abandoned to the tender jobbing under the system of making roads mercies of all who might feel disposed to by joint-stock companies, more mischievous plunder them-the accumulated losses fall- would it have been to the community had ing ultimately on the public.

ments.

If the

the railways been left to inert state moveThe legislation for the protection of the public was of the most ignorant kind. Whatever may be the ultimate result of Without any accurate knowledge of the ex- the question at issue, between the public pense of the new mode of transit, a maxi- and the owners of railways, we take our mum arbitrary rate of charge was fixed by stand on the principles of JUSTICE. law; and a provision for competition in car- public, through their representatives the riage was made, of so absurd a kind, that it government, have sanctioned a bad system could not be executed. As a secretary of and wasteful expenditure in the construcone of the lines remarked to a committee of tion of railways, they must pay the penalties the House of Commons: “Competitors may incurred. If it be deemed advisable that the run engines on our line if they can; we railways should become the property of the are not bound, by law, to furnish them with state, to hold in trust for the benefit of the either coal, water, or station room."

community, the state has the same right to

Line after line was granted, and projec- take them, that it had to take the land tors and speculators were alike regardless of whereon they have been constructed but Ter expense or waste; they trusted that a per- paying for them a full compensation-as in manent monopoly would give them the the case of other property, so taken, for the means of passing it on to the public in per- benefit of the many. Whether it would petuity. They reasoned rashly. Had the really be for the benefit of the many to have question been one of canals instead of rail- the railways in the hands of the state, the roads, their monopoly would have been object Mr. Gladstone has had in distant complete, because, the water-courses being contemplation, is another consideration. their own, no rivals could have arisen; but The aim of all legislation should be "the it was a question of roads, and they over- greatest happiness of the greatest number." looked the consideration that duplicate lines The first elements in happiness are, the due could be made, and would be made in pro- supply of all things tending to keep men's cess of time, whenever the public arrived at bodies in perfect health. Some of these the discovery, that they could be served on supplies are best ensured by leaving them better terms by a new company than by an open to individual competition; -others tha

old one.

must be under the control of the state. For te

The collision is now fast approaching: it example, an ample supply of water of goods is an ascertained fact that railways can be quality is absolutely essential to the health made for half their former cost, owing to in- of the community, and it should, therefore, creased knowledge in construction, and pro- not be wholly left to individual competition, ha tection against peculation, and the public cry where, the aim being pecuniary profit, the te out for competing lines. But it should in no object will be to supply the smallest quantity wise be forgotten that the money vested in at the highest price. Good drainage is anorailways, though private property, is never-ther essential, which the builders of housespe theless national capital, and to make two cannot always provide for themselves, or lines where one would suffice, is a national will not provide for, unless under compulwaste, for which the public will have to suf- sion, and on this account the sewers of a fer in one shape or another. Nor would it city should always be under the control of a be a wise thing to forget the claims of justice single public authority. Water and sewage on the part of existing shareholders and di- should be a general charge on the tax-payrectors. Many sins in wasteful expenditure ing community of the district, for the benefit have they to answer for; but it was no of the poor as well as rich. The growth of fault of theirs that the parliamentary ex-towns is another element, which should not penses have varied from 6501. to 3000l. per be wholly left to private arrangements. A

builder of inferior houses, looking to pecu-authority be vested in individuals, working niary profit, will crowd as many tenements for pecuniary profit, they will work the railas he possibly can in a given space, depriv- way in the mode which will produce the ing a neighbourhood at once of air, light, largest practicable or permissible profit,

4 and opportunities of healthful exercise. The with the least possible trouble. They will defective ventilation of courts and alleys is a consult their own advantage, and will pracproductive source of disease and death. tise, as far as possible, on the public forbearFood is another element, and therefore do ance. They will carry a small number of communities empower public officers to in- passengers at a large price, rather than a spect and destroy such as may be unwhole- large number of passengers at a small price;

some.

Abundant food is yet another ele- for the obvious reasons, that supposing the ment, for the ensuring of which the arrange- profit in both cases to be equal, there will ments are still incomplete, and, what is be less outlay of capital for carriages in the worse, the government joins hands with mo- former case than in the latter; and a small nopolising food-sellers, in trying to keep up business can be conducted with fewer sera high price by scanty supplies. vants and less trouble than a large one.

In a thickly-peopled community, and public companies, as well as in private firms, more especially in communities congregated the tendency is to seek for a high per centtogether in large numbers for the purposes age of profits, and to overlook the fact, that of manufacture, cheap and easy transit is as the safe business is the business of small much an essential to health, as abundant profits. Where competition does not exist, water or free ventilation. It is, further, the the abuse grows, till indignation or cupidity means of circulating and equalizing labour is aroused, and the result commonly is, a throughout the community. It is the competition ruinous to all parties.

and means of wholesome exercise for the poor. The high fares charged on many lines of It abstracts them from the haunts of vicious railway, on which the public are obliged to excitement, and all the habits akin to those travel, which railways pay an annual diviof vermin; gives them the free breath of dend of 7 to 10 per cent. and upwards, and heaven, and helps to combine the intelli- which are nevertheless, in many cases, mangence of the mechanic with the robust aged on a system of jobbing, is an instance health of the well fed cultivator. Such a in point. We have heard of government population would be the true wealth of a jobbing, but we doubt if more striking cases nation, the multipliers of production by com- of pure jobbing could be anywhere found bined intellect and industry, stimulated by than in some lines of railway. For examhealthy enjoyment; production, to be fairly ple, the salaried supervisors of work done by shared by the whole community, and result-contractors for a company which we will ding in the extinction of ill-will between rich not name, are themselves open contractors, and poor, by the absence of destitution and and sit in judgment on the work performed red diseased excitement. by their rival contractors. This would have

But what is the system under which the been too gross, even for a Tory government dgreat mass of the community can obtain rail- of thirty years past. The thing might have way transit at the cheapest possible rate, been done, but it would at least have been consistent with the highest desirable rate of decently veiled. The superintendent's son, speed, safety and convenience? At sea, or nephew, or cousin, would have been the aland on rivers, competition has produced the nominal contractor.

ال usual result of cheap transit, and railway Jobbing in the appointment of railway fares have been kept down by the vicinage officers is, of course, a common thing. Places of water competition, to a certain extent. are made for persons, but efficient persons Railways have also occasionally competed are not sought for places. We remember with railways, but a constant competition, or an instance, in which it was remarked of a a competition capable of being raised up at vacant official railway situation, "What a a short notice, is wholly wanting. On the pity the salary is more than 4001. per annum, old highways, a prosperous coach was sure Mr., a really efficient man, would get to be encountered by a rival, proffering "re-it; but as it is nearly 1,0001., it will go to a duced fares;" but the peculiar construction fool." It was so; a dry-nurse was found of railways prohibits this. Train runs after to do the work, and the nominal office, with train on the same track, and the competition the solid salary, went to a coxcomb. of different and rival managers would pro- The Post office does nothing worse than

bably, though not necessarily, produce fre- this. It resists cheap postage long as it

quent ani fatal collisions. Each railway, can, while a Lord something takes the large must, therefore, be worked by one sole au- salary, and Rowland Hill, the efficient man, thority, responsible for its own acts. If this is excluded. And be it remembered, this

large official railway salary, and the large Rowland Hill has conferred on the English extra profit of the superintendent contrac-public, and from them ultimately perhaps tors, is actually paid by extra fares taken upon the whole world, one of the greatest from the pockets of the public. These are boons humanity could receive the Penny matters not forced on a company by govern- Postage. If any one thing more than anoment, and which nothing but competition ther could reconcile us to a government apcan remove. They are abuses common propriation of the railways, it would be the enough in government, precisely because appointment of Rowland Hill as Superingovernment is a monopoly. Had the com- tendent-general. Under his sway we should munity two or three governments-Conser- have no fear of jobbing or mismanagement; vative, Whig, and Radical, put on piece- but inasmuch as we could have no security work, and earning no money but for good that his efficient qualities would be transand cheap work, what effective sessions mitted to his successor, we should prefer a would the three parliament produce! What system on the self-progressing principle, and cheap law, what clear justice, what very not subject to be stereotyped into unimprovfree trade, what cheap and effective protec-ing stagnacy, under the dull auspices of a tion from violence, would be the result of mere laisser faire lordling or placeman. their competitive efforts !

It has been occasionally asserted that there This cannot be, and we must be content is, to a certain extent, competition with railto submit to a certain amount of jobbing in ways by means of horse coaches on contigugovernment. But it is precisely for this rea- ous lines of highway. But the fallacy of son that we should be unwilling to see our this is very obvious. The expense of tracrailways fall into the hands of government, tion on a railway bears no proportion to that either by purchase or otherwise. It would of a horse-road; the expense of traction on be "out of the frying-pan into the fire," as a horse-road is most material. The railway regards the permanent character of the job- can at any time, by reduced fares, deprive bing. A magnificent amount of patronage the coaches of their traffic, combining low would be put into government hands, for fares with great speed, and horse-keep will the purpose of influencing elections, and soon consume the means of the owners. also a very efficient police establishment, They must give in, and the railway propriewhich latter would, however, be advanta- tors can then, without an effort, raise their geous to the community in saving expense, fares to an amount which will compensate and we do not entertain any apprehension them for their trouble in driving away their that it could become an engine of mischief, competitors. The public must ultimately more than any other police. As regards the pay the expense of the competition, which jobbing, it is under a government apt to as- fortunately is little likely to be renewed; for sume a permanent form, while the internal to bring on, and remove, a horsing establishjobbing of companies is exposed to be broken ment over a long line of road, is too costly up by continual accidents and changes of cir- an affair for frequent repetition.

cumstances.

We do not mean to assert that all rail

There is, however, no doubt that, in the way directors are rapacious in fares, and rehands of government there would be one ad-gardless of the public welfare. We must vantage to the public-passengers would be take the conduct of the Dover line as an excarried at prime cost, without a profit; un- ample to the contrary. The axiom put forth less it were in the shape of a specific tax, by the benevolent and liberal-minded chairwhich we should much deprecate. There man, Mr. Baxendale, at one of their meetwould be no attempt to raise fares for the ings a hard bargain is ever a bad bargain purpose of gain, or to lower them for the for the apparent gainer-cannot be too purpose of ruinous competition. We should strongly impressed on the attention of railalso be free from the uncertain changes of way directors. It is the disregard of this times of departure. We should have no in- maxim in the disposition to give the public stances of one company altering its times, in as hard a bargain as possible, that has caused order to balk the arrangements of a contigu- the public outcry. The Dover Chairman ous line, or for the sake of enhancing its and Directors, and the gentlemanly Secreprofits at the expense of the public conve-tary, seem to have impressed the whole nience. But as a mischievous set-off to these management and officers with their own advantages, there would be the evil of a dull spirit. The public, rich and poor, is treated stagnant system, barren of progress or im- like a gentleman; and we have no doubt, provement. that the highway between London and the

The first inroad on the stagnant system of rest of Europe, will ever be among the most the Post office was made years ago by Pal- prosperous lines, while the principle is recogmer; and in our own time, the genius of nized, that efficient public service at a cheap

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