The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1871-11-16


The Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany propose to dispose of t. cir lands
as follows, which the New York Tribune
prOhOunccs ga sensible and excellen,
provision :"
''He.oired That any person y settle upon and i'm.
prove snsls VI the NOrthrrh Pacific Railroad Company
they are appraised and ready for sale. m.y have the
first privilege Of purchasing t,ein upo1 the regular
Of ;ss and % = e ss e, 'f rel.
erence ID the im.'rovr ilaentS- -
This arrangement is reasonably libcr-
al and just. But We judge that We could
suggest plan quite rs " sensible and cx-
cellent." 1t would be to provide that all
the lands OF the company should be sold
at uniform price, say $3.50 per acre, or
even $500 per acre. The settlers would
then know i'm advance what they were
to pay. They would be sure of title
ut fixed price. We would have the
fact largely advertised that the company
offer their lands upon these terms. What
would be the result! Hundreds Of thou
sands of acres would be settled upon in
advance Of the building of the road even
in this stage OF rapid railroad building.
The result of this would be that the rail-
road company would have business for
the road when Il Was built, and we Judge
the company would actually realize more
than by holding on to their lands for
high prices. Railroads arc rcmunerativc
investments, if there is business for the
road; if not, the operation does not pay.
Railroad operation is terribly expensive.
Long trains with empty coaches produce
no dividends for stock holders. There
is really no one SD much interested in
the development OF the country IS the
railroad company itself. Its daily sub
sistence as . paying corporation comes
from the business Of the country. Where
there are no settlements there can be no
business. Our plan We believe to be a
good one for the railroad company. 1t
is liberal and Just to the settler. 1t gives
him a home for small consideration,
and it gives him that which makes his
home valuable and profitable to him.
We are aware that by having q uni
form price-a low price we have sug-
yested for the lands-would not work
perfect justice in all cases. No arrange
ment could possibly do this. No human
can secure perfect justice.
But our plan comes nearer than any that
we have seen yet adopted by our railroad
Some settlers wOnld get
lands at 80 so per acre worth $40 or s25
per acre but that is his good luck, good
fortune, or enterprise, call it whatever
you may. Government sells its lands
ut 81 so per acre. Some get choice land
worth quadruple that sum but no one
can complain if they do. They are first
on the lands. BY our plan, while some
would get their lands ut s25 per acre, at
one quarter their value, others would
have to pay full value, at this price. But
no one could complain. 1t is optional
with settlers to take them at this price
or let them alone.
The time might be limited by the rail.
road company for the sale of its lands at
this figure, say to three or five years.
This would stimulate settlements, as the
inference would be, that after
this time the lands would be held at
higher rates. Our plan would produce
harmony aid unity of feeling between
the railroads and the settlers. This GER
tainly is everyway desirable. Their in
terests really are mutual and identical.
There ought to be no hostility or differ
ence between them. The producer and
the public carrier arc both necessary to
the wealth Of the State and the prospcri-
ty and happiness of communities. There
is no proposition in political economy
clearer than this. Demagogues may for
3 time, with their subterfuges, mystify
i. But it will stand ont clear "a sun
light in the mind Of every reasonable,
thinking man.-Pdrsons Ssn.