The Railway Position in Austria.

While the German railways are marching steadily ahead, the railways of the neighbouring European land of Austria are being worked under very great difficulties.

What amounts almost to a crisis has now been reached in the Austrian railway world, and there are many alarming rumours in circulation concerning the future of Austria's railway system. On the one hand there is mention of a complete change in the management. Another rumour speaks of the possible return to hard and fast government operation. Yet a third report tells of the possible leasing of the Austrian railways to a foreign syndicate. Hard and fast bureaucratical rule will certainly not pull the Austrian railways out of their difficulties, nor is the idea of leasing the railway system of the land to a foreign syndicate at all attractive from the point of view of the average patriotic Austrian. What probably will be done eventually will be to call in the aid of some outside railway expert of international repute, to investigate the situation, and report as to what remedial measures he considers desirable. The Austrian railway system is one of the most important of central European transportation links, and it would be a thousand pities if the undertaking were allowed to slide to a second-rate standard.

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