In 1830 there were thirty miles of railroad in the United States. This had increased to 9,000 miles in 1850, to 53,000 in 1870 and to 192,162 in 1900. The total railroad mileage of the world in 1900 was, approximately 445,000 miles, with a capitalized value of $35,000,000,000, and of this the United States possessed 42 per cent - nearly half. The railroad property in the United States in 1900, consisting of track, rolling stock, depots, shops and other buildings aggregated nearly $12,000,-000,000. This enormous creation of property and development of transportation facilities has been the product of seventy years' effort and progress, all growing out of the application of steam power. The wide area of the United States will explain in a measure the enormous mileage of our railroad systems. The European countries "being of smaller area have shorter railway lines, and yet it should be remembered that the United States has the largest mileage in proportion to population of any nation. For every 10,000 inhabitants in the United States we have 26.1 miles of railway; England, Scotland and Ireland, 5.2; Germany, 5.6; France, 6.6; Russia, 2.2; Spain, 4.2; Brazil, 4.7; and Argentina, 19.6.

The enormous development of our railway interests has been the means of accelerating the commercial progress of the United States to a wonderful degree. This development has not only been typical of the evolution of industrial organizations in this country, but in a large degree has assisted in bringing about the wonderful industrial advancement which has been made in the past fifty years. By means of the improvement in transportation facilities our industrial and social life has been revolutionized. Producers have had their market widened until it is now almost a world market, whereas before, the sale of many articles was restricted to the localities in which they were produced. The consumer likewise has a world market in which to buy. He is not confined to his home production. The prices of all the utilities of life are more nearly uniform, since improved transportation has given them a better distribution. The variation in prices due to situation has been lessened. Improved transportation has also lessened the general prices of commodities, since it enables either raw or finished products to be moved cheaper, thus reducing the item of transportation which enters into the final cost of the goods. It also enables the merchant to "turn over" his stock or capital quicker and oftener and thus do business at less expense and hence at a smaller gross profit.

The development of transportation has also been the cause, in a large measure, of the growth of our cities, since it enables manufacturers to locate their plants in the great centers of population where there is an abundant supply of labor, and where shipping facilities are favorable, irrespective of the location of the raw material. The steel mills of Chicago and Milwaukee are examples of this, being situated at a considerable distance from the ore and coal, but near populous centers. The location of great industrial plants in or near towns or cities adds to their financial and commercial importance, and this in turn assists in their growth. New agricultural districts have been opened up and profitably cultivated, through the facilities for disposing of the crops, afforded by improved transportation, while other districts have been abandoned or changed to grazing land, on account of the competition of more productive localities. Thus Massachusetts has practically ceased to produce wheat, and now receives its food products from the west in exchange for its manufactures.

The railroads of the United States are owned and conducted almost entirely by private corporations. The majority of the railroads of Germany belong to the government, and those of most other European nations, except England, are under the direction and control of the government. The advantages in favor of government control are, that the system of transportation will be operated at actual cost, thus saving to the people as a whole the profits which otherwise would go to private individuals, and that the power and control of the government will be extended and enlarged. This latter may be desirable in a monarchy, where the hand of the government is constantly upon all of its subjects. The Roman Empire built extensive roads as a means of extending and solidifying its power. In a republic, however, the same reason scarcely exists. The reasons against government control are that we prefer to check, rather than extend, the power and influence of our government; that private enterprise supplies every demand for transportation facilities, and builds competing lines which would not be built if our railroads were all under government control; that the tariff rates for both passenger and freight traffic are reasonable, and are made under government or state restrictions.

The average capitalization of the railroads in the United States is lower than that of any other country, being about $60,000 per mile. This includes costly bridges, such as those which span the Mississippi river, tunnels through mountains or beneath cities, such for example as those under St. Louis or Baltimore, besides numerous examples of costly expenditures in the execution of difficult feats of engineering and construction. The English railroads cost $200,000 per mile, those of France $128,000 per mile and of Germany $105,000 per mile. This difference in cost between American and European railroads has been ascribed to various causes, but is no doubt due largely to the more permanent and costly character of European roads. Perhaps more water in the stock, items of general expense such as the cost of floating the bonds, interest on the capital while the roads are under construction and profits of construction companies, are included as a part of the cost of European roads.

Inventions and improvements during the past twenty-five years have steadily increased the efficiency of the railways and made the transportation of both passengers and freight not only more rapid, but safer and more economical. The substitution of steel for iron rails, made possible by improved processes of manufacturing steel, the use of heavier rails-more than 120 pounds to the yard in some instances-heavier cars, air brakes, automatic couplers, block signals, all have combined to improve the efficiency of our railway systems.