The Lincoln County herald., 1872-03-21

sSoSstVo
too. mind you, was on On assessed valuation
Of one half, and less, Of tha present val
uation, assessors In those days rarely ever
valuing real estate at more than one third
or one fourth Of its intrinsic worth. Now,
my opinion 10, that u per cent, or $2 so
on every 500, is not more than fair
average of what is paid BY the people Of
the state to-day. Aud. Mr.. Speaker, let
US analyss this and look at the result.
One hundred acres of fair land, of the
quality Of which have been speaking.
If unimproved, would have been assessed
in my county at not more than four dol
lars per acre; the tax on that al twenty.
five cents per hundred would be one dol
lar. Now, tho same lands are put at not
less than eight dollars per acre, which
would give . tax, at two dollars and .
half per hundred, Of twenty dollars. 1t
may be contended that the enormous 10
crease Of our taxes has resulted from
local causes that our state taxes are not
much increased. Let US examine this
little. AS l before stated, previous to the
appropriation for said roads, our state tax
was one.eighth Of one per cent, and that,
too, on q valuation of one hundred per
cent. less on the real value Of the land.
Tho enhanced value Of real estate is
claimed to be double what it was. For
example: . tract Of one hundred acres
Of land, 10 those primitive days of happy
ignorance. worth really ten dollars per
acre, would not be assessed at more than
five dollars per acre, giving an aggregate
of Eve hundred dollars. One eighth Of
ono per cent. on that amount would be
sixty two and . half cents. Tho same
land, if doubled in value by railroads or
other causes, would be taxed at ten dol.
lars per acre, which would give an aggre.
gate of one thousand dollars. One fourth
Of one per cent. for railroad debt, aud
the same amount for ordinary expenses
Of government, would be 6fty cents on
the hundred dollars, giving q tax Of Eve
dollars, which We now have to pay, in
stead Of sixty two and half cents, as
formerly. We should bear in mind, also,
that great proportion Of our local taxa
tion is occasionsd by appropriations for
railroads-a very large number of the
counties having subscribed stock for such
enterprises. The people who are not
crazed with railroad on the brain will be
able to appreciate these facts.
The passage Of the bill will also lend
q new impetus to the subscription Of
stock to railroads by counties, cities, and
townships, already swelled to such vast
proportions as to appall many who are
engaged in it, and threatening to bring
into serious doubt our ability to pay &C
cording to promise our immense debt
While, therefore, it will increase state
taxes, it will have the effect of further
increasing local taxation also.
Now, sir, will you tell me that the
land owner contsmplates this result with
feelings of very peasurable emotions :?
II is certainly not consumm mmation that
any of US would look upon with exultant
joy. The friends of this measure emu.
late the fancy Of the poets in their pic
tures of the beautiful valleys, the fertile
fields, the Aowery prairios, the rich mines
of iron, lead, marble and granite, and
tell Us in lugubrious strains that all these
bouuties so strewn around US by the lvaish
hand Of nature, will lie as 40 much barren
rock or sandy desert unless We appropri
ate this eighteen millions Of dollars for
railroad construction. Do that, and tho
iron. coal, lead, and all other Of the usual
and valuable minersbles will spontane
ously leap to the surface Of the earth and
become utilized ss by the wand of an
enchanter that the cereals aud other
products will start up as by magic and
await the reaper's hand But in mourn
full strains they bewail tho sad fate that
awaits our our beloved land should We
fail to pass this bill. Iowa, Kansas, Ne.
braska and all the states around us will
have their network of roads, their lands
improved, their resources developed their
immigration-vhile We will be left a
bowling wilderness. Sir, do they sup.
pose We are gulls to be caught by SUCH
clap trap? Does not every gentleman
On this Aoor know if there is COED land
and valuable ores anywhere in this region
of the United States, that men of energy,
'enss and capital will discover and settle
IN them and develop them? we'll re-.
member when the so called Platte pur.
chase, comprising those rich counties on
The northwest border uf our state, was
hrown open for settlement by the United
States government what rush there was
o obtain land there. They did not wait
or the authorities at Washington or
Elsewhere to mako Q railrosd for them,
,at with the instincts and manlness Of
he pioneer and the far seeing shrewd.
less Of the universal Yankee natiun,
ushed forward to whore their instincts
ID, and soon settled that country with .
ncrs dense, If not better, population.
han the older parts Of the state.
What 10 the history Of Californis +? |
lou oil know il. When tho pews sprsad
broad that gold was there, did the for.
uns seekers wsit fos railroads to trans,
ort them thither? No, sir every con.
syancoe Was brought into requ,sition,
ron the horse wagon oyeu dovn, "a the |