The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-02-23

1t will answer our purpose, in illustration of
the point We desire to make, to take the $780,
900 proposed to be subscribed to the Valley
Road There is depending upon this sub
scription the following amounts
CITY of Bait. sub 81 100000
Bal. ORR Co 100000
Rock BRIDGE and Lexington 100000
Rotetourt 200 900
Roanoke zO0,OUU
Stanton $4,000
Private subscriptions 10000
So 900 900
Augusta county, for Valley Road 100000
$4,000
This amount is imperatively necessary to
to make start, and it is equally imperative
that the subscription of the 5000 600 for
this Road, by the county should be made. in
order to secure the two millions OF dollars
subscribed BY the city of Baltimore and the
Baltimore and Ohio R. R. Co. The ordi-
nance of The city council of Baltimore, order
ing the sense of the people to be taken on
the proposition to subscribe 100000, was
carefully guarded, providing that the amount
should be subscribed only on condition that
the $4,000 900 was received from other sour
ces. 1t is argued by some Of our people that
if Baltimore wants the road constructed she
will not be driven from accomplishing her
wish by the failure Of Augusta county to ap-
propriate the 100000 in county bonds ask
ed of her. Just here is a serious mistake:
It was with difficulty that the necessary ma
iority was obtained on the Baltimore appro-
priation. 1t was secured upon the assurances
that there would be comparatively little diff
, t,lty-;, obtaiuip~ the residue of the amount
It is not in the power of the city authorities
to change the terms Of that subscription
Should Augusta county fail to contribute the
proposed amount, before tie subscription OF
Baltimore could be avai|ed Of, it would be
necessary to hold another election, in that
city, which would most assuredly result in the
defeat of the proposition.
The subscription by Augusta county Of
$500, 900, running 20 years, would insure
on the improvement. The road would run
80 miles through Augusta county, from her
Northern eSher Southern limits. The esti-
mated cost sof constructing mile is about
$4,000. This would insure the expendi-
ture, within the county, of the greater part
/ of 81 10000 This amount would be scat
tered among the very class of men upon
whom the tax would fall The interest on
the 5000 900 would be $4,000 each year,
at 6 per cent The interest on 81 ESQ, 900
the amount it would require to construct
the road through Augusta county-would
be $768p0,sor over six times as much as
the interest paid on the county bonds. Now,
is 1t not very clear that the benefits to be de-
rived from the expenditure of 81 100000
are far greater than the burthens imposed b.
the subscription Of 100000? The soI is
the source whence the taxes must be raised,
and it is to the cultivators Of the soil these
benefits must flow. We have shown, in an
other article in this issue of the VIRG1NIAN,
that the simple article of railroad ties will,
for the first year, cause an expenditure Of
S32, 900 for surplus timber The Flaps" Of
the timber from which the tics would be
gotten could all be converted into marketa-
Bile wood for the consumption of the road,
adding that much more to the net revenue
arising from this one source. The thousand
and Que other articles for which demand
would be created but which are now value
less would constitute commodities of traffic
from which each taxpayer could derive vast
ly more than his taxes would amount to-
We leave out. at this time, the increased
value of lands, the bringing under remuper-
alive cultivation thousands Of acres now ".
ing idle, and the general advantages to the
farming community.
We have, in past issues of the VIRaINIAN,
shown that the annual saving to the farmers
of the county, we're competing line of ex-
it to market furnished, would be at least
$4,000 in lessened freights, or nearly seven
times the amount Of interest on the 5000, 600,
and this subscribed amount merely the cred
it of the county loaned for the construction
Of the road Constituting, as the Valley
road would, an important link in great con-
tinental thoroughEare, the stock of the COM
pany must become profitable Investment, in
stead Of an apparent gift
Add this $4,000 to the excess of interest
on 81 100000 over the interest on the
5000, 600, and We would have $124900, or
iye-eights of the whole amount subscribed
to the stock of the Valley Road, saved and
returned to us in one year.
The same restrictions as to terms: are as
applicable to the Shenandoah Valley Road,
as to the 100000 for the Valley Road -
The money must be expended in the county,
If at all IF the Shenandoah Valley Road