Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1872-06-29
Land Subsidies.


Much disappointment has been ex-
pressed by some of our Republican
contemporaries concerning the subsidy
plank in the Republican platform. Our
neighbor of the Oregonian goes so far
as to say that all who are not influenced
by campaign clap-trap, are opposed to
this plank in the platform. He seems
to lose sight, or is wilfully blind to the
fact that many Republicans, as firm and
reliable as any in the party, have ever
been opposed to the policy of granting
large tracts of the public domain to aid
in public improvements of any kind
That, while thay are anxious to have
canals, railroads, and other improve
ments made, yet, they have thought,
and still think, that they should he as
sisted by other aids than land subsidies
The utility Of national subsidies has
been tested and found to be universally
beneficial, but in many instances might
have been more so te the country at
large, if proper checks and balances
had been thrown around them More
especially does this land subsidy ques-
tion come directly home to US of Ore
gpn, as our State is composed Of noun
taiDs and narrow valleys. The Will
lamette, the principal valley Of the
State lying between the Cascades and
Coast ranges of mountains, is not so
wide but that railroad grant takes one
hdJthe land between the two ranges
of mountains. If we are TO continue
policy of this kind, when our railroad
too late that one half of the agricultu-
ral'lands Of the State are in the hands
Of rail road and other monopoles. 1t is
useless to say 4" restrict them in price" ="
for how easy it is for railroad or other
company to apparently transfer their
lands tor the price named in the grant,
and yet really retain them in their own
hands to be disposed of as they find to
be most profitable. The idea advanced
that had it not been for land subsidies
we should not have seen railroad in
Oregon for twenty five years, is simply
nonsense. Other appropriations could
have been made just as easily, which
would have been of sufficient benefit 70
the railroad companies, and doubly
beneficial to the State. Take for ex-
ample, the Oregon and California road
20 which grant was made of twenty
sections, or IL, 800 acres to the mile
This at the Government price, one dol
lar and quarter an acre would amount
to the round sum of sixteen thousand
10000 dollars to every mile of road,
lacking only about two thousand e.
O00) dollars of the average cost of the
road. Then when the land is put at
81 so per acre, the price the company
are allowed to charge, we. have enough
to nearly build two such roads, to say
nothing of the private subsidies which
are received from towns and individuals
outside.
Suppose on the other hand, Govern,
ment should subsidize this same COM
pany to the amount of sixteen thous-
and 10000 dollars to the mile, in the
thape of bonds or other securities, and
and keep the land in reserve for the
actual settler? The country would be
built up great deal more rapidly, as
the poor man, the laborer, would be
anxious to procure a foothold, and will
ling to labor for its improvement. The
'ailroad company would be anxious for
immigration, for the more people there
is along the line of the road the greater
the amonnt of business done, and the
more remunerative the road is. Mucf
might be said on this side of the ques
tion, to prove to our brethren that this
was not mere campaign clap trap, but {
lesson taught by experience and obsor
walton, and while not anxious to reat