Litchfield enquirer., 1869-07-15
&itekfela Gnqniret.
Litchaeld, Thursday, July 15,IS69
Town Subscriptions to Railroads.

A gentleman from New Preston writes letter which we publish on our first page, in which he raises the>old States Rights is- sue, and doubts the constitutionality of Town subscriptions to local railroad enter prises. The first point is so very thread bare, that we must decline it's discussion. unless it comes up in the unavoidable line of political duty. Regarding the second, practical issue and one of vital impor- tance to this and to other towns not far of, we will venture few words:
 !, Communities have always exercised and must always exercise the right of compel ling contributions from individuals for certain objects of public necessity. Two of these: the protection of the national life against enemies. foreign or domestic; and the opening and keeping open the necessa- " avenues of intercommunication, have always been held proper subjects of forced contributions from minorities by majori- ties. This nation has just expended an amount, equal at least to one-tenth of its whole taxable property, for the object first mentioned The amount already expend- ed by communities for the second object is much greater than unrefecting people im- agine. Take the town of Litchfie cid for in stance. We have, it is estimated, about 400 miles of public highway. The very ground these common roads cover could not now be bought for $5O,OOO. Those roads could not be fenced and constructed for $2O0, ,0O0. Their repair will cost us, this year, $7 .5OO; and, on an average, not less than 5000, year by year. But rail- road communications have of late years be- come as much matter Of necessity to the growth of communities as common roads. What is now proposed is in substance this; to add to the sum necessary for the ordi- nary maintenance of our highway commu- nications, just about an equal amount for the opening up of railroad communica- tions. The advantages of such an enter prise cannot fairly be set down as "some supposable, possible, future go od." They follow as a certainty. Railway stockhold- CTS often lose; but the localities lying near railways always gain. They gain, in the first place, by an immediate saving on freight and passenger travel, more than equal tolthe interest of the sum to be sub scribed.t They gain, in the second place, by an increase in the actual value of their taxable property to an amount far above the 5 per cent proposed to be taken to make the improvement.
 When. therefore, the accomplishment of such an enterprise becomes practicable up- on whom should it's burden fall? upon liberal individuals or upon the whole body politic?-' The great advantages of inter- communication arising from the construc. tion of turnpikes, many years since, were all reaped at the expense of liberal individ- uals. They lost; but the public gained. Such has often the case, hitherto, with railroads; but is it right? Ought not the sure gainer, the community, to bear tue brant ofithe burden? We do not say that towns ought to speculate in railroad stocks. On the contrary, unless they are convinced that the incidental benefits and growth arising from increased facilities of trans. portation will more than equal heamount ofthe proposed subscriptions, they ought notsto vote them. But if any town mot situ. ated on ., line of railroad, can, by a five per cent subscription, get one through their midst, and fail to improve such an op- portnnity, they are most certainly penny wise, pound d-foolish community.