The Lincoln County herald., 1872-03-14
The SIS, ,OOe, 900 RaiaroaA subsidy Bill
MASoRITY AND MINORITY REPORTS.
Correspondence Of the Republican
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, March 3.


terdsy in the house Of representatives.,
concerning restricting state liabilities as
to railroad subsidies, one applying as q
test question to house bill 647, thmiliariy
known here as the "Leeper railroad bill'
comes up for account at two o'clock
to morrow afternoon. The committee on
internal improvement. or at least a major
ity Of them, have agreed upon report.
This committee consists Of Jno. l. Bit
finger, chairman l.. A. Brown Of How
ard, NJ. G. Brown of Monroe, N. NJ. Bell
Of St. Louis, Geo. b. Clark of Washing
ton, Geo. W. Gates Of jackson, Tbos. q.
HUT Of Lincoln, N. G. Hardin Of Pike
Ii. &. Mullings Of Green, NJ. Mcmillan
of Cooper, A. w. Myers Of Linn, W. ..
N'aupin Of Saline, aud A. P.Richsrd.ou
Of Franklin
1t constitutes one Of the most import
ant committee of the house, and, it is but
fair to say, ranks first in the committees
Of that body in point of intelligence.
The most important bill really before
the legislature bow, and one attracting
most attention is the bill referred to aud
in charge at present of these gentlemen.
We have been permitted to examine the
reports Of both the majority and the mi
nority representatives Of this committee
which are briefly emboiied in the follow
ing statement.
MAJORITY REPORT.
! 1t speaks Of the aspirations, ambitions,
capabilities Of Missouri as the pivot
state Of the Union, aboundng in all the
varied resources that form the nucleus
OF such state To develop all the great
resources Of the state, railroads are abso
lutte necessary. aud under the present
law capitalists are denied tho privilege
of affordiug the desired aid to carry out
the great needed project. 1t claims that
the state must take her internal improve.
ment system iuto her own hands 1t
assumes that this liberal system Of rail
road policy embodied in ths bill may
include 2,400 miles of railroad and the
state give its cash subsidy or donations
to the amount o! 81 600 per mile, making
the amount mentioned in the bill. This
amount at SIX per cent. cost the state
81 OoO,O equalling tax to the state Of
two mills more On the dollar. This
amount expended, it also assumes, would
bring into the state 800 900 900 OF
money, making a sum total Of SlOS, 600
900 for the 2,400 miles Of railroads
The taxes paid by this absolute capital
invested in the 2, 400 miles Of road is
thus stated
State revenue tax y mi ls...".........S 1000
interest " "a " ............. 10000
Average county tax 8 )" .............. 1sO, 900
school 10" ............... 800 900
All other taxes per cent."........".... $4,000
Total tax paid by these 2.iOO mies....l ,OsC 900
This is claimed to be equal to the six
per cent. interest cf the state subsidy Of
sls,OO0,00O, paying into the state an
amount sufficient that the state suffers no
loss. But the report goes farther. Ii
claims that for every dollar taken from
the state treasury the people gain nine
dollars tax relief and thus gain u direct
relief Of light dollars.
The bill provides that no railroad com.
pany shall have state aid except upon the
completion Of ten miles of road, and th,s
too to be ascertaned by the authorizes
Of tho state under oath for this specific
purpose. it claims that within ten years
Missouri will be chequered with railroads,
not u county without one, and the popula
ton of the state be advanced hundreds of
thousands.
MINORITY REPORT.
The following minority report by Hons
N. G. Hardin Of Pike and Y. G. Hutt Of
Lincoln county was submitted in the
house Monday morning. Mr.. Hardin
drew up the report. 1t was ordered
printed without being read j
To the Honorable Speaker of the
House of Representatives The under.
signed members of your internal improve,
ment committee, to whom was referred
house bill No. 647. entitled AN ac, to
facilitate the construction of railroads in
the state Of Missouri, have had the same
under consideration, and after u careful
investigation into the merits of the bill
recommend th't it, with the substitute
therefor recommended by majority of
the committee, do not pass.
The bers Of the committee signing
this report, in the investigation of the
matter of the bills did not visit the
regions Of fancy, and submitting their
views briefly do not desire to deal in
metaphors or rhetorical fourishes, but
only to give few substantial reasons
why the measure should not pass.
l, The bill Is clearly IN contravsntion
Of the spirit if not the letter Of our con.
stituion, wherein it is provided that the
credit Of the state shall not be given or
loaned in aid Of any person, association
or corporation.
1t is true that it is an ingenious at
tempt to evade this constitutional provis.
Ion, but upon close scrutiny it must be
manifest to ovcry clndid mind that it
is failure in this regard. The bill pro
poses to donate seven thousand five hun.
dred dollars per mile to any railroad com
pany that will construct at least ten miles
of railroad in the state and for this dona
tion thu connapio. ara rarniraI tn M,