I was reading about the need to replace the bottleneck tunnels (B&P) under Baltimore. Its seems such a struggle to fund what needs to be done which would benefit society. How then, were they able to build stuff like this in the late 1800's and early 1900's without all the red tape faced today. We have much better technology these days...should make the task easier.
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There are a number of reasons why things were done differently in the past.
- The railroads dictated a lot of social policy, directly or not. That is how the term "this law was railroaded through Congress" came about. As individual companies, and as a collective whole, they got what they wanted.
- The railroads built what they wanted. Projects were not contracted out to the lowest bidder, and they didn't let outsiders (or insiders) pull a fast one on them by cutting corners. Things were built to last. Most of them did.
- There were few taxes on business, and no income tax. Individuals put their money where they wanted, instead of looking at investments for a quick gain and a quick sell.
- Most people were unaware of how business worked, and a lot were immigrants or illiterate. They had no rights as we know them today. They also took jobs for the daily pay, rather than as a career. No unions negotiated for better pay or working conditions.
- There was little regulation, and most big construction projects were expected to lose lives due to poor training or "bad luck." All deaths were considered the employees' fault.
Of course this is all a very simplistic view of life as it was once lived. The good old days weren't always good for everyone. Just like those who survive a war, the workers who survived a huge construction project looked back with pride on what they did. But the human toll was enormous.
Better technology raises costs, but it also shortens the amount of time involved. And no one wants to pay for anything. Company stockholders only want to reap the benefits of profits, but not take on the cost of maintenance or new construction. They would rather let the taxpayers foot the bill.
Wow. Tim, thumbs up for a very concise explanation.
One more, if you don't mind: Taxpayers would be the ones paying, rather than stockholders. Taxpayers who do not benefit directly from any project do not like to pay. Therefore, many taxpayers who rightly would consider themselves disenfranchised would hesitate to spend their tax money on a capital project.
Excellent account...I agree 100%
#1 the Empire State Building was built in 14 months.
#2 How many folks really benefit from the enormous school tax on their real estate?
#3 One "railroaded" source.....
: RAILROAD - ".The speed with which lines were bult and the railroad builders' disregard for anything that stood in the way of 'progress' inspired the term 'to railroad' by the 1870s." From "The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).
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