n, as from the very nature of the case
there can be no data outside that furnished by the government-owned
railways of the British colonies, and such data negatives these
assertions; and the advocates of national ownership are justified in
asserting that such ownership would materially lessen the cost, as any
expert can readily point out many ways in which the enormous costs of
corporate management would be lessened. With those familiar with
present methods, and not interested in their perpetuation, this
objection has no force whatever.

The fourth objection is that with constant political pressure
unnecessary lines would be built for political ends.

This is also bare assertion, although it is not impossible that such
results would follow; yet such has not been the case in the British
colonies where the governments have had control of construction. On
the other hand, it is notorious that under corporate ownership, and
solely to reap the profits to be made out of construction, the United
States have been burthened with useless parallel roads, and such
corporations as the Santa Fe have paralleled their own lines for such
profits. It is quite safe to say that when the nation owns the
railways there will be no nickel-plating, nor will such an unnecessary
expenditure be made as was involved in the construction of the "West
Shore"; nor will the feat of Gould and the Santa Fe be repeated of
each building two hundred and forty miles, side by side, for
construction profits, much of which is located in the arid portion of
Kansas where there is never likely to be traffic for even one railway.
Much of the republic is covered with closely parallel lines which
would never have been built under national ownership, and this process
will continue as long as the manipulators can make vast sums out of
construction.

A fifth objection is that with the amount of red-tape that will be in
use, it will be impossible to secure the building of needed lines.

While such objection is inconsistent with the fourth it may have some
force; but as the greater part of the country is already provided with
all the railways that will be needed for a generation, it is not a
very serious objection even if it is as difficult as asserted to
procure the building of new lines. It is not probable, however, that
the government would refuse to build any line that would clearly
subserve public convenience, the conduct of the postal service
negativing such a su