Litchfield enquirer., 1868-11-26
THE SHEPAUG VALLEY R. R.

RELATIVE EFFECT OF TAXATION UPON DIFFER
 ENT LOCALITIES AND ITS INFLUENCE UPo!
 THE VALUE OF THE STOCK OF NEIaHBoRINt ROADS.
 Though it is true that property lying iu the immediate vicinity of the road would be most benefited by its construction SC far as it's market value is concerned, the grand lists being increased by property mainly along its line and by capital drawr from distance, taxation. upon propert, remote from the line of the road, would be most reduced in consequence.
 The great interests at stake, then, on the part of those located nearer the Manga. tuck or Housatonic than the proposed road would be-decreased taxation and reduced charges for railway transportation.
 The importance of "a great reduction oi freight charges to the business interest oi towns bordering on the upper portions oi either the Naugatuck or Housatonic will be apparent from these facts:
 Without examining in detail their freight IaiiAo, eIic CuaaI SOo iol CoIi, Nil1Ou CoiStI- tute large portion of the tonnage of a road running through a manufacturing dis trict, may be considered, alone, as the gov. erning charge for ali freights of importance passing over the road.
 The special rates for coal on either of the above roads, on long hauls, are from 5115 to cents per ton per mile.
 The roads of Pennsylvania, costing more than twice as much per mile, are at this time charging less than cts, per mile, and shareholders: It is but fair, however, to state that Pennsylvania roads, nearly filled to their capacity with tonnage, can move freight more cheaply than can New Eng land roads of necessarily limited tonnage. At 3 cents per ton for coal, it would prove the best paying freight passing ovel any New England road; hence no railwa. company, intelligently represented, would permit such freights to pass from them a this rate.
 The advantage therefore of fair compe tition to tax payers on property located near or the Naugatuck or Housatonic than tht proposed Shepaug, would be at least lift, , per cent on their gross freight charges.
 This question has naturally been raised by holders of stock in the above roads: 1 the building of the Shepaug would fore lower charges for service on the upper DOT ton of those roads would it not affect un answer is. emphatically, No, and for thes' reasons:
 The maximum charges for transporta lion which shall not restrict tonnage ma he safely adopted as the policy of any hal wav Go, with advantage to themselves all the public, while excessive charges pre- wanting the development of the resources c. the country along it's line, must prove a.'A
 ,ro;nd;cial to the interests of stockholde
 and to the patrons of the road. ry The cost of the movement Of tonnas ~ over road, at ordinary charges provla'
 it's business is equal to its capacity IS apo VII one half chargeable to interest on Its cal ,b: h. tal. and the balance to current expens an hence as the tonnage of road falls oel it's capacity to carry, this element of co
 interest on capital, increases in the sa T. ratio. K, Thus it will appear evident that ln G
 charges are excessive, capital not aires
 fxed must be forced entirely off road
 to such points thereon as shall compel ust business man to employ the least possl
 part of the line, thereby making unproo oi five to the stockholders such portions
 the road as are further removed ITO reo' commercial center.
 l to These general propositions are well Il trated in the case of the Naugatuck istf Co.,, which for years has practically
 criminated against the business intel
 of the country lying along the upper
 tion of its road by charging uniform ,, per mile for coal, iron, copper and k is heavy freights which enter 50 lasgeiy nark. the manufactures peculiar to that distl anu Referring to an official statement fur u. ed in a previous article it will be seen stf the increase of the grand lists of
 along that road (which is the measn'
 their prosperity and of their ability t
 n;sh business to the road, has been d
 the same period as follows: Mass eo,o,
 Winchester, oe os pes .s ies Of Torrington, oo oo {. on the Plymouth, ooa oa {. estab- Waterbury. 21S goods Nangatnck. 100 : sist of Na.Sr. ond Ssvmour. 190 :