Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-05-09

sdt Col. A. NJ. WooLFoLK, of Helena defines
his position on the subsidy question in along
~ and able article published in the, Gazette
which was brought out by recent editorial
m in the Herald, which accused the Colonel oil
- '"chopping around.' The reasons given. by
,rs Col. Voolfolk for his opposition to the, Rail
nd road measures SO strepuously and blindly
jaf, advocated by the Helena press tor several
,e,, months past, are given in detaiand are clear.
comprehensive and convincing. The ruinous
" pol cy of Substituting Railroads is set forth 5y
facts and figures incontl override. In speak
ling Of Sanders bill, asking subsidy of
$75O,oOO from Lewis and Clarke county, he
says
1t is amost.equa to The entire amount of
-FOUR hxeUand tangible porperty, and such n
% subsidy, bearing sacll AN enormous ratio to
80 the value OF the taxable Pre- perty upon which
. 1T is imposed. is unhearu Of in the history of
- railroad Vegetation. st. Louis, with taxable
property amounting TO over two hundred
millions OF dollars, only gave subsidy OF
seven hundred and rtty, thousand dollars to
the Missouri Pacific. the first and most iln-
'N portrait Of her railroads. Kansas city. In
2 ,SJackson county, Missouri. with taxable prop
~ crty amounting to over fifteen millions OF
~ dollars has given less than, five hundred
- THAT lave made her great commercial cen-
anaer. Gtt the poor county Of Lewis e. Clarke
,f whose Gu tire property that could be reached
by a subsidy tax would not amount to one
aniliion OF dollars if sold alder the hammer.
Is asked to give subsidy of seven hundred
1 and fifty thousand collars to miserable mar
-row-guage railroad, that Utahe perience has
demonstrated would be blocked by n fall OF
six inches of snow, and would be practically
useless during the winter seasoil--a road that
- does not take us where We want to 90. but
"a Leaves us farther from New York, Chicago
and the great centres Dftrade at the end OF it,
than when we started from home a road
W thas even at the yortlfn;tfy estimate for run
&c ming "a railroad in the States. viz: 4 dol sr
ard asquarers a mile tor every train that
passes over the road. would cost a million of
= q, liars p i a mum to run and Keep it IN re-
pair. willie the PR nit business OF Montana,
4akye liita ltrbled after its completion, would
-, not pay Its running, expenses with treights
Mt thirty dollars per ton, to say nothing OF
Tie interest tipo.: the nine or ten rniioils OF
"a toarsit would costto build file road.ea5 y
sac The following facts cited BY Col. wool
folk are familiar to many Of our citizens:
g,osiIowardseo,tnty. No.. with taxable prop
-, crty amounting 10 six millions OF dollars,
. granted Il subsidy Of nine hundred thonsalid
hsdolIars to aid in thecoiistracton OF railroads,
and ever since property, depressed 10y heavy
t,s taXatlpn, has SteauHV ace Hcu, auntll now 1t
is not wortl, over fifty per cent. of its former
- valie. Lafayette county. once the garden OF
n Missouri. with a taxable property Of over
liz seven millions Of ttollars, in an evil hour
,- granted a subsidy OF a million and ashalt of
dollars to aid the construction OF two rail-
roads. IYl,s hcavy burden Of debt 81 i'll hangs
Observation-Disclosures people like II clon,E
= Under lis l,aiesu inluenee capital and enigrl-
lion have lied f. IN hem d properly has be-
come unsaleablt at almost any Price | was
GO ere i,biy iIiorn,ed That liicc-tstlrils Of the
EStxab Inppai tyioa the county was atvertis-
SD .,vr- tiie faxes Of 1872. u0Eserywt, re
throughout the 'wes b we bear the cry of dis
'tresscd People grooming u,rHr the b ,rtlen of
VS. Excessive taKation III coiiscG.fe,,ce Of raili
Il read subsidies. ~ IN one tlistrea in Missouri
kansas city district | am informed thai
seventeen c,untit IS We're II centlys sued to ell
~ force the collection Of railroad subsidies.