The most striking feature of this statement is the number of states devoid of railway mileage previous to 1870, which since then the railways have converted into mighty commonwealths whose resources have been multiplied "some thirty fold, some sixty and some an hundred". And those to which the railways have made the greatest prosperity possible are the states whose politicians today are trying the hardest to muzzle the ox that treads out the corn for their people.
Growth of Railways of the World.
In the following table is given the mileage of the principal countries in the world from the earliest date available to the latest:
| Country | Miles of Road Completed | ||||||||
| Opened | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1889 | 1899 | 1909(b) | |
| Great Britain | 1825 | 1,857 | 6,621 | 10,433 | 15,537 | 17,933 | 19,943 | 21,666 | 23,205 |
| United States | 1827 | 2,818 | 9,021 | 30,626 | 52,922 | 93,296 | 160,544 | — | 234,182 |
| Canada | 1836 | 16 | 66 | 2,065 | 2,617 | 7,194 | 12,585 | 17,250 | 24,104 |
| France | 1828 | — | 1,714 | 5,700 | 11,142 | 16,275 | 21,899 | 26,229 | 29,364 |
| Germany | 1835 | 341 | 3,637 | 6,979 | 11,729 | 20,693 | 24,845 | 31,386 | 35,558 |
| Belgium | 1835 | 207 | 554 | 1,074 | 1,799 | 2,399 | 2,776 | 2,833 | 2,871 |
| Austria (proper) | 1837 | — | 817 | 1,813 | 3,790 | 7,083 | 9,345 | 11,921 | 13,427 |
| Russia in Europe | 1838 | — | 310 | 988 | 7,098 | 14,026 | 17,534 | 26,889 | 31,545 |
| Italy | 1839 | 13 | 265 | 1,117 | 3,825 | 5,340 | 7,830 | 9,770 | 10,312 |
| Holland | 1839 | 10 | 110 | 208 | 874 | 1,143 | 1,632 | 1,966 | 2,225 |
| Switzerland | 1844 | — | 15 | 653 | 885 | 1,596 | 1,869 | 2,342 | 2,740 |
| Hungary | 1846 | — | 137 | 1,004 | 2,157 | 4,421 | 6,751 | 10,619 | 11,769 |
| Denmark | 1847 | — | 20 | 69 | 470 | 975 | 1,217 | 1,764 | 2,141 |
| Spain | 1848 | — | 17 | 1,190 | 3,400 | 4,550 | 5,951 | 8,252 | 8,432 |
| Chili | 1851 | — | — | 120 | 452 | 1,100 | 1,801 | 2,791 | 2,939 |
| Brazil | 1851 | — | — | 134 | 504 | 2,174 | 5,546 | 9,195 | 10,713 |
| Norway | 1854 | — | — | 42 | 692 | 970 | 970 | 1,231 | 1,608 |
| Sweden | 1858 | — | — | 375 | 1,089 | 3,654 | 4,899 | 6,663 | 8,321 |
| Argentine Republic | 1857 | — | — | — | 637 | 1,536 | 4,506 | 10,013 | 13,690 |
| Turkey in Europe | — | — | — | 41 | 392 | 727 | 1,024 | 1,900 | 1,967 |
| Peru | — | — | — | 47 | 247 | 1,179 | 993 | 1,035 | 1,332 |
| Portugal | — | — | — | 42 | 444 | 710 | 1,188 | 1,475 | 1,689 |
| Greece | 1869 | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 416 | 604 | 771 |
| Uruguay | 1869 | — | — | — | 61 | 268 | 399 | 997 | 1,210 |
| Mexico | 1868 | — | — | — | 215 | 655 | 5,012 | 8,503 | 13,612 |
| Roumania | — | — | — | — | 152 | 859 | 1,537 | 1,920 | 19,942 |
| Australia(a) | — | — | — | — | — | 789 | 4,850 | 11,111 | 16,502 |
| Japan | 1874 | — | — | — | — | 75 | 542 | 3,632 | 5,755 |
| British India | 1853 | — | — | 838 | 4,771 | 9,162 | 15,887 | 23,523 | 30,576 |
| China | 1883 | — | — | — | — | — | 124 | 401 | 4,162 |
| Africa | — | — | — | — | — | 583 | 2,873 | 5,353 | 18,516 |
| (a) Including New Zealand. | |||||||||
| (b) Or latest figures. | |||||||||
[RECOMMENDATIONS]
In conclusion I would reiterate the following recommendations:
Railway Statistics.