1901.] 



COMMERCIAL JAPAI^". 



2259 



important parts of the world, hut the improvement in trannportation is not equal to that of trade. Merchants are paying an enormou.<3 

 percentage of their profits to alien vessels for carrying tli(;ir cargoes, and other nations are making every effort to keep our vessels out of this 

 lucrative field. This fact is due to our small number of large ships, their slow speed and small numl>er of trijts. To have our own freight 

 service is essential to the proper increase of our trade. Of course it seems ridiculous to build large vefi.«els of great K[X;ed when the cargoes 

 are not sufficient, but, as stated above, the tendency of the world is to build large vessels with sufficient Bpeed, for it is penny \»'ise 

 and pound foolish to try to compete with small capacity and le.ss speed, although it would be cheaper. 



No nation can be prosperous without good inland transportation. The general advantage of railroa^Js to our country is well 8ho^\'n 

 in the development of the interior and the increase of freight carried. In the last twenty years there has been an increase f>i railroad." of 

 4,822 per cent in mileage, due mainly to the growing prosperity of the country, but also in part to the individual efforts of those 

 concerned in the management of the railways. Eailroads, it goes without saying, as a means of defense, finance, and economics, are the 

 most important media of the progress of a country. The way to utilize these media is to build them all over the country with the 

 latest improvements, cheapening the cost of transportation and giving quick delivery of products in the markets. Comj»aring .Jajjan's 

 with the railroads of the United States and Europe per capita, per mile, and also with traffic, I am .sorry to say the fact is our railways 

 do not compare favoral)ly with the railroads of those countries. 



Suggestion as to the improvement of railways is very hard to make without a knowledge of civil engineering. The social, y>olitical, 

 and economical significance of this subject will be greater in the future than now, anrl the country feels it. Railway councils have been 

 appointed, composed not only of representatives of the various government departments, and the army and navy, but also of prominent 

 representatives of commercial interests, of the learned and iiractical men of the country, and their earnest effort and efficiency, no doubt, 

 will improve the system. Let me niention some things here: 



1. The removal of the law of maximum price, which is fixed the same all over the country, is needled. It would be extremely 

 difficult to make a general law for large and small towns, since the development of business varies radically in different districts. The 

 manager of each company wants to have the largest amount of net income by the increase and decrease of the fare. The formula is 

 (x— c) dy— y dx=0 (Hadley). Let the companies decide what is best to be done under proper control by the Government, allowing 

 them a reasonable rate of profit and preventing them from injustice to the people. 



2. Rails ought to be improved, together with the improvement of engines, their speed, and also increase of traflSc. Improvement 

 has been made; steel rails have been- substituted for iron, but the 60-pounds-per-yard rail was used from the beginning and is still used, 

 while the weight of engines increased from 22 tons to 80 or 85 tons and the speed from 14 (in Government) to sometimes 50 miles per 

 liour. With the improvement of rails the roadbed and ballast ought to be studied by specialists. The rock ballast is used in the United 

 States railroads, and the drainage of the road is well provided for, which is very important to keep the tracks in good order. 



3. Tracks: The single-track system is almost inadequate to meet the growing demands. Double tracks, or quadruple tracks, should 

 be more generally used for quick delivery of goods and also for safety from collision and other accidents. 



4. Water supply: The country has an immense number of rivers and abundant water, and theiefore the method of getting water 

 supply from the track while the train is running should be used, which will certainly save time and also work of the manager. Often 

 it is the case that trains stop for a long time to till their tanks. 



5. Scarcity of locomotives and cars: The number of locomotives and cars per 100 square miles is very small compared with the United 

 States and England, as follows, in 1896: 



Engines. 



Passenger 

 cars. 



Freight 

 cars. 



Japan 



United States 

 England 



26.3 

 19.8 



87 



100 

 184 

 275 



366.4 

 718 

 2,907 



While the hauling power of mileage per one year is: 



Japan 



United States 

 England 



Engines. 



21,621 

 20,348 

 18, 170 



Passenger 

 cars. 



29.783 

 10, 375 

 15,826 



Freight 

 cars. 



770 

 529 

 533 



So more cars should be used, although in the passenger traffic the character is entirely different, as one small car carries SO third-class 

 passengers, while in the United States such a car carries about 30. 



6. Much has been said about the improvement of stations — lack of storerooms; but I mav say that the improvement of yards should 

 be preferred, in order to shift the freight cars according to distance and importance. 



7. It is advisable to abolish the uniform classification of freight by the Government, because where there is competition by water, 

 lines handling heavy and bulky goods should be classified differently from those lines where there is no competition. The kind and 

 location of goods to be carried should also be considered; therefore the classification on freight ought to be fixed by each differ -nt line. 



8. Division of labor: The road should be divided into parts, and superintendents should be appointed for the divisions, to whom 

 supreme power should be given over the tributaries to it, and under whom the engineer, the supervisor, etc., would each have his own 

 share of work. 



9. There should be established a society or club of employees in order to improve themselves as in the Young Men's Christian Asso- 

 ciation of the Pennsylvania Railroad, instead of continuing to" employ anprogressive but cheaper men. Of course the standard gauge 

 might be preferable from the point of efficiency, but the expense would not allow it at present. But 1 hope *\-At when a new construction 

 of railroad is undertaken there shall be some preparation for wide gauge when needed. 



The subject of State purchase of railways was the most exciting question in 1899. The twelfth Congress of the country thoroughly 

 discussed the matter and finally decided to let it remain as it was. But this question can not be said to have disappeared entirely, fi^rthe 

 railroad history recalls that the subject was repeated three times in 1881, when the first private railway corj)onition came into existence. 

 There was great agitation for State ownership, not only among those who are interested in railways, but in every qiarter of the country, 

 but private ownership won. In 1890, when the industrial disturbances occasioned by the great earthquakes nuule the railroads unpix>s- 

 perous, their purchase by the Government was urged to rescue them from the panic. The Government refuseil and won its struggle. 

 In 1893, when the railroads were very prosperous, everybody began to talk about improving the means of transportation, and complaint 

 arose of the management of the State road, which was about"37G miles long. The insufficiency of the funds of the (iovernment was the 

 cause of this agitation in favor of transferring all railways to private corporations. The railroad association opposed. The jxipular reasons 

 of the advocates of State ownership were: 



1. As a part of one consistent scheme of national defense; by army oflRcere. 



2. Simplification of freights, together with greater uniformity and cheapness, preventing unreasonable discrimination; by 

 merchants. 



3. To develop the whole country's resources, so that those places which would otherwise \->e left without niejuis of transportation 

 should be helped by thei paying portion of the lines and the public should be generally benefited; by country gentlemen. 



