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THE RAIL WA 1”s A.VD THE STATE. 363
own scheme could be carried out. It inrolves all the difticulties
attaching to tho acquisition, ownership, and extension
of the vaat railway property, and would, at the boat, only
secure a portion of the advrtntages arising from the more
thorough-going schemes. I am, therefore, inclined to
acquiesce in the opinion of ilir. Martin, who remarked that tho
leasing scheme appeared t,o Le ‘&an ingeniously contrived
mixture of the disadvantages of both syste~us, witllout. a
singlc redeeming advantage.”
It is difficult to see horn these lc~~sing co~npmlies wol~ld
differ from the present great rdwny con~pnnics, escept t,llrtt,
having sold their pro1Iert.y to t.lle State :tt IL profit, they
mould continue to work tho traffic in colnparativo freedom
from responsibility :LS regards the s:if(Sty of tra~clling, vr its
financial results. Lct it, bc espccinlly rct~arked, too, that such
a proposal runs directly contrary to :ill cxpcriolcc dorired
from the Post Office, which, as already stated, confines itself
to the conduct, of the traflic, while dc>pcnding upu contrmtors,
especially upon railway companies nnd stcnmlmat OWIIC~R, for
the use of all fised property. Ncvcrtheless, it is t;criously
proposed that in tho case of tho ra,ilwRys tho State sho~ld
purchase, construct,, own, and repair the fixed property, but
should leave individuals to competc for tho conduct of tho
traffic. Perhaps the best-cstabliuhcd empiric:d gcnernlisation
i~1 political economy”h1r. Mill’s opinion8 to thc contrnry
notwithstanJiIlg-i~, that the State is the worst of Imdlords ;
and it is now seriously proposed to make it the 1~Llld~Jrd of thc
whole railway system. It would surely bo a much more
seusible suggestion that the Govcrnn~ent should be tho leaseholder,
and while Icaving the permanent way and uther fixed
property in the hands of the prescnt companies, under contracts
to maintain and repair them as required, should confine
its own work to carrying on the traffic in a manner analogous
to the postal system. Even to this arrangement, however,
there are insuperable objections, especially the fatal division of
authority and responsibility which it would produce. Unity
of management is the prime condition of efficiency and safety
in BO complicated Q system as that of railway conveyance.