Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-05-11
Cost of Another Railroad-Facts for the
People.

Were the people willing to tax
themselves for building railroad
through the interior of Grant Coun-
ty, say from Animation to Cassvillc,
forty miles, only those owning prop
erty within ten miles of the route to
be taxed one dollar per acre on their
land, the sum raised at such rate
would be half q million dollars,
enough to insure completion OF the
road within few years. But, in
Justice to those living five to ten
miles distant from the route, they
should pay but half so much, whlle
those living five miles and under
sbould pay double. OF course per
acre levy of tax could not be made,
but an equivalent on the assessed ba
sis equal to one dollar per acre is
what is meant. Land should be tax.
ed in proportion to quality and valu-
alton.
But half the sum spoken of would
be raised in the villages, leaving but
fifty cents per acre 10 DO raised from
land tax. Lancaster and Cassvillr
villages would contribute 5000, 900 ot
this amount-by subscriptions and
local taxations.
How much would be the rise 81
value per acre upon the land wit hin
ten miles of the road, as result of
of being taxed so much? How great
the profit of having railroad so near
to mems farms? How much the
gain from q competing railroad mar
kct2 And from the general stimu-
lation Of trade and business, the
opening of new mines and quarrie+
market for timber, lumber, fuel, i'm
provement of travel and market la
OF i'ies-hOw much for these
Would it psy TO be taxed Rather
car the people afford to not be tax
ed? When it pays a man to be tax
ed for anything that is to yield him
many times its cost, can he afford to
refuse being taxed?
We in Grant County are slow
people, twenty years behind the
times. The chief reason OF our being
so behind the times is, that we have
allowed ourselves to howl right
along about taxation, without ever
inquiring whether it pays to be tax
ed for public improvements. In other
parts of the couRtry the people have
voted money to build railroads, and
have become rich thereby. 1t has
paid them better to bring markets to
their homes than to travel far away
to markets. In Grant County the
practice is for men, first, to get all
they can farm, and then get as much
more as they can that shall be a dead
weight upon them. OF course they
feel land poor. and take to grumbliug
about taxes. 1t would be vastly bet>
ter for them to lay out their surplus
earnings for railroad that shall give
Thorn better markets, quadruple the
value of their farms, and make them
richer and happier. The fault is with
our leading men, who begun poor
early in life when penuriousness was
excusable. Rich now, they should
act as rich men, and not as stumbling
blocks.
The county has had reign Of sew
eral years of plenty and fortunes
have accumulated rapidly. Some
talk always of scarcity and hard
times, but this is their habit. That
the times for fortune making are to
be even better than ever, for many
years to come, admits of no doubling.
The government is able and can
afford to- has an interest in, and will
keep money plentiful during the eX-
istence of the National debt. Such
conclusions are as clear as the day
light Then, In view Of such conclu>
sions, had we not better at once set
about putting ourselves in connection
with the great markots. Indeed it
would appear so-jnst as needtul a.
TO SOW and to reap. For what prot
iteth it a man if he hath all the grain
in the world, yet no market for it
at least no near and dear market.