Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-16

SOneial W isconsln, which has Quilt
and placed in operation sixty-six
miles this season from Menasha to
Stevens Point, is rapidly pushing for
ward to Bay field, on Lake Superior.
which point it is expected win be
reached within the present year. and
will open up vast country to settle
ment, which hitherto has echoed only
TO the sound of the lam Derman's axe
or the rifle Of the huntsman, whila
the Northwestern Railroad has push
ed with energy its northern extern
sion frcm Green Bay, until il has
reached the Menomonee river, andla
a months will be 10 connection with
Lake Superior, and its north western
extension, now completed to Reeds,
burg, it is expected will reach the
Mississippi river at Lacrosse within !
twelve months. The Milwaukee and
Northern Railroad, passing through
rich and populous country, and oac
greatly in need of such facilities, will
soon be IN connection with Fond bu
Lac and Menasha. Oshkosh has Join
ed hands with Ripon, and Fond du
Lac will soon do so. Green Bay is
rapidly constructing line to the
Mississippi, while the Madison aud
Portage road is being extended up
the Valley of the Wisconsin 10 Grand
Rapids and Stevens Point The rap
id and easy transit Of passengers and
freight by rail, has given that mode |
of conveyance tho preference oyer all |
other systems, and so strongly i'm
pressed is every community with
this fact that they are often induced
to grant aid TO secure near at hand
this most desirable method Of transa
portation, greatly 10 disproportion to
their ability to pay, and greatly in
excess of the advantages to DC ATTAIN
ed.
On the first day OF January, 1871,
there were in operation within the
limits of the State, | ,23S miles of rail-
way, and on the first day of January,
| 1S72-l, 1888 miles, representing a cost
either actual or fictitious Of nearly
one hundred millions Of dollars. This
vast concentration Of capital ia one
interest alone, affects every other in
terest in the State, and it may with
truth be said, that there is no branch
of inust-y within the State, that is
not dependent upon railway facilities,
and with unfriandly action on the
part of railway managers, may not at
any time crush out. The railway in
terests Of the State have grown to
their present proportions without
any general system and with little
responsibility TO the people Of the
State, and the opinion among railway
managers seems generally to prevail,
that their will is the supreme law.
This is an error which ought to be
corrected. Railroads are public cor>
porations, and as such are authorized
to take private property on making
lust compensation, . right which can
only be given where property is taken
for public use, If, then, railroads are
public highways, the public are en-
titled to the fullest benefits to be de-
rived therefrom, after allowing the
stockholders q reasonable divide nd
ontheir capital invested and to secure
both parties in the full enjoyment Of
their just rights, the most adequate
protection should be given. do not
regard the railway management of
this State as less fair or liberal than
that of other States. Trains are run
with regularity and safety, and the
travelling public has been well accom-
modated so far as their physical com
| fort and safety is concerned. Never
theless, there are complaints OF an
| just discrimination in particular
localities, for which it is claimed,
there is no redress, and the rates of
transportation generally are unneces-
sarily high. / pass no Judgment
upon these complaints, as | have not
such personal knowledge as TO enable
me to do so but this interest has
become so important, and is so vital
to the prosperity of the whole State,
that | recommend the organization
Of board OF Observation-Disclosures
with power to inquire into all COM
plants and abuses, and to exercise a
general supervision over the operat
ing Of the several railroads within
the State, and to recommend such
| legislation as may seem TO them ex
pedient, and report annually to the
Governor. Fortunately, our consti
tuition gives to the Legislature
absolute control over this whole
question, and | hope that there viii
be no hesitation in applying an
adequate remedy to every just cause
of complaint.
The practice of giving bonuses in
aid OF the construction of railways, |
is not to be condemned where the |
communities confne themselves
within reasonable limits, and the bo- |
nus is not disportioned to the bene>
fits to be derived but there has been |
degree of recklessness in this re. |
gard that has brought distress on
many localities. After the explosion |
of the farm mortgage system, which |
brought hundreds of farmers to bank
ruptcy aud ruin, the next device was
to induce the towns, counties and |
cities to loan their credit in aid of
various railroads Towns that were
the most promising OF any in the
state, in an evil hour were persuad,
cd to loan their credit far beyond
their fair ability, to aid in the con-
struction of railways, in the expecta.
ton that the benefits would add so
largely to their business and prosper
ity, that they could easily pay the
debt created for that object. La al.
most every instance disappointment
has been the result, and instead Of
the great advantages predicted, they
find them selves buried beneath ais
mast hopeless debt and their pros.
perity greatly impaired or destroyed
With the many examples Of this
kind which the State affords first,
in the ruind farm mortgagers, and
next, in the embarrassed and pros
trate towns--it was reasonable to ex-