The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-11-29

not help youp If they do, they will
make a very great mistake. There
will then be no ground for asking
for Fremont, shops or anything else.
Findlay, Lima and other places will
have superior claims, which cannot
be disregarded.
It is idle to talk about making Fre-
mont, or Sandusky, or any other place
the terminus Of the road. Roads do
netstop at Toledo or Cleveland, much
less at places like Fremont, or San
dusky. They must have connections
by which they can send their cars to
New York and elsewhere, without
change, in order to compete with
other lines, and the longer road is,
and the more connections it has, the
better it is for all who do business
upon it think it not only for the
interest of the road, but also best for
the people of Fremont, that the road
be extended as far East as possible.
The erroneous idea is entertained
by some, that the voting of $134,000
i'll bonds to aid the building of these
two roads, will be a gratuitous dona-
ton to the companies. Thisis mis-
taken idea. In the first place the
building of the road will require the
expenditure of several hundred thou
sand dollars within the township,
giving employment to large numbers
of mechanics and laborers, and the
money paid to them will go into the
hands of business men and farmers
for clothing, provisions, Sc. Then,
when the roads are completed, there
will be at least eight miles of new
rail roads in Sandusky township
and forty-eight miles within the
county, to be added to the tax-dupli-
cate, together with large amount of
other improvements induced by the
building of these roads, and will be
taxed for all purposes-county, town
ship and corporation; and will also
be taxed to help pay whatever the
township. may have to pay on the
bonds. Even should the township
be compelled to pay the principal of
the bonds at the expiration of twenty
years, when they become due, these
roads will more than repay to the
people of the township the whole
amount in taxes alone, besides great
ly increasing the value of every acre
of land, within the township and
county, and giving permanent en-
ployment to large numbers of me
chanlcs aud laborers, cheaper trans
portation and secure to Fremont a
permanent prosperity which it can
not secure in any other way. But l
apprehend little danger that the town
ship will. ever be taxed to pay the
principal of these bonds. The Town
ship will lease or sell the Sandusky
township rail road to the Chicago and
New Y ork Air Line and the Lake
Erie s. louisville companies, and Sc
cure therefor an amount of the stock
OF securities of She companies equal
to the township bonds, which, before
the township bonds become due, will
be worth at least par. In the case of
the Cleveland & Toledo road, the
county sold. the rail road stock re-
ceived for the county bonds for $1,000
more than sufficient to pay the coun-
ty bonds in full, thus making a net
profit of about $1,000; and this was
done in two years and three months
from the issuing of the bonds. Yet
there was as strong and bitter oppo-
sition to voting that aid as there can
be to this.
The township bonds, when issued,
are deposited in the State treasury at
Columbus, and cannot be drawn from
there except upon the order of the
township trustees, certifying that the
work has been performed, and only
85 per cent of the work actually per-
formed can be drawn until the whole
is completed, and any bonds remain
ing in the treasury at the expiration
of three years sfiom the issuing the
same are cancelled and cannot be
used after that time. fe
In conclusion l will only add that
unless we can lay aside mere party
and personal Considerations in acting
upon questions of public improve
ments and Unite for the genera gOou,
twill be pertecIy useless to make any
further effort for the future material
prosperity of our city and county. 1t
is much easier to find objections than
it is to devise,a plan that will satisfy |
everybody.
-a r. P. BUcKLAND.