New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-26
CITY RATLRoADs.

When street railroads were first introduced i
into New Orleans on an extensive scale, there
was much opposition to them on the part of
property holders in some of the important
thoroughfares in which it was designed to con-
struct them. There was an apprehension
that commercial business would be obstructed I
and that the value Of property on these
routes would be deprecated in consequence
It is probable that such might be the result
| in a narrow street like Royal street, for IN
stance; but in the broader thoroughfares like
Canal, Rampant Camp and Magazine, ex-
perience has shown the original fears to be
unfounded, Whatever temporary lneon-
venience may have been inflicted on certain
established interests, there can be no doubt
that the community, in the aggregate, has
been vastly benefited by the establishment OF
this cheap, rapid and agreeable system of
urban communication.
Il We do not believe that it can be shown that
property has been iniuriously affected, in the
central portions of the city from which the
railway lines radiate-whilst, in the upper
and lower portions, the facility of communi-
cation thus secured, has, no doubt, tended
greatly to enhance the value of real estate.
Apart from any considerations of personal
convenience, this fact alone places street rail-
ways in the list of those enterprises which com
munities, on financial grounds, ought always
to encourage. just as rural railways have a
y, tendency to augment the value of rural pro-
perty and thus to increase the taxable re-
sources of the State, street railways tend. in
n ,F1
; property, and thus to increase the taxable re-
sources of the municipal government. In
the present condition of the treasury Of New
Orleans, this consideration is not to be ne
elected The mal-administration Of the
: three years Of city government the
; reckless expenditures, which characterized
eI that melancholy era Of our history,
! added greatly to our indebtedness, and
! entaiIed on US the necessity Of extraordi-
!. nary exertions to meet our annual liabilities.
i Whilst ourj burdens were thus enhanced, our
t resources we're measurably diminished by the
emancipation Of the negroes. Mayor Monroe,
5 in his message, suggested certain changes in
i our financial scheme which, he thinks, would
j increase our revenues. We believe that he is
!, right. But such changes increase our income
i not BY an augmenting, but by "a constant guam
} tity. What will really benefit us by atfording
/ the means Of an annually increasing revenue,
g is the growth Of the city. its commercial de,
y velopment, and the augmentation of its popu
lation These desiderata are obtained by tbs
"a removal of repressive restrictions, and espe
y cially by making the city an agreeable an6
'e attractive place of residence. Now street
e railways which so greatly facilitate com
munication between the widely separated
!. portion of city which extends for six miles
Il along the river, contribute powerfully to this
2 result We repeat that, instead of injuring
# property, judicious system Of street railways
il must necessarily have the effect Of enhancing
n n its value.
IS But there are direct, as well as indirect
d financial advantages to be derived from these
r enterprises. One of the principal of these
IS advantages is the obligation of keeping in
4 4 good repair the streets through which they
) pass, which is assumed by the railway com,
d panies. This is q great relief to the city
:, treasury. Any one can see how much must
d be saved to the city in the way of repairs o
{ such thoroughfares as Camp, Magazine
n Tchoupitoulas Carondelet and ST. Charles
It streets. If the system were extended through
Y out the main streets of the city great par
of our necessary expenditures would b
Il \ avoided.
e In addition to this the new railway com
= panies pay to the city a royalty of GIG of {
cent on each passenger which is equivalent tc
II II. 81 per cent. on the gross proceeds. If the
; companies which pay this royalty, receive
If say $1,000 per day from passengers, the share
J. of the city would be more than 50 SC, 900 PEI
il annum We do not know to what the sun
= amounts at present, but we have no doub
'. that liberal and judicious system Of railways
would soon bring it up to the stated figures
,e We therefore hope that no obstacles, a
ID least on the part of the city, will be thrown il
~ the way of the consummation of such stree
railway projects, as do not interfere witt
4 a vested rights; and which do not provoke
to doubtful litigation. If there are embarrass
p ments and difficulties in the way, we have n
f f doubt that these can be met and overcome
IN without detriment to any material interests
OF One of the most willful and awful murders
n, that have occurred in the West, happened il
On Tama county, Iowa, last week. A man by tn
name of Felter, living in the north part of th
6f +1,h br,i, ~