The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-12-19
The Railroad Tax.


Wayne county is now attracting much
attention, not only among the citizens
of that county, but the friends of inter
nal improvement through this and 9TH
er States are eagerly watching the O.
suit. Will the people of that county
vote the taxi is the problem to be SOW
ed. Many OF her citizens oppose it, and
as far as we are able to learn theiI
grounds of opposition, we will set them
out and then show that their objections
are without foundation.
And first: it is argued by few of q
certain class, that it will advance the
rates of wages; that in the event OF the
building of the road the laboring man
can obtain two dollars or two dollars
and fifty cents per day for his labor,
whereas he is now compelled to work for
seventy-hve cents per day on their
farms. This objection is founded in
selfish motives; and stands upon the
superstition that the poor were created
to serve the rich for less compensation
than their labor is really worth. But to
the credit of the great mass of Wayne
county farmers, be it said, that very
few Of them raise this objection. This
ground of opposition is selfish and I'm
Just. II the farmer, or landholder, does
pay more for labor, he is enabled to re-
ceive a much better price and find a
reader sale for all his produce, and the
new proportion between the value OF
labor, and produce would not be dis
advantage to the large landholder.
Second: 1t is urged by those who op-
pose the tax, that the county is too poor
to take stock in the road. Now it may
be admitted in one sense of the word {,
that Wayne county is poor; buS in anO-
Their sense of the word, she is one of the
richest counties in the State. And it
may be truly asserted, that, unless her
unbounded mineral resources are de-
veloped, by means of transportation, she
will be, strictly speaking, poor coun-
ty as long as the world stands. Now,
let us enquire further into the sounds
ness of this objectiOn-will it really
throw heavier burden of taxation on
the people? The present value of the
real estate of that county is one
million three hundred and eighty-four
Thousand, one hundred and eighty-siX
dollars. OF this amount OF real estate,
there is about the sum OF two hundred
and fifty thousand acre of what is gen.
orally termed ''wild lands, " or lands not
in any way connected with farms, and
constituting parts of farms. This two
hundred and fifty thousand acres is
now valued at about twenty-five cents
per acre, making the sum of sixty-two
thousand five hundred dollars. Fifty
thousand acres of this land is rich in
iron ore, and with the advantages of
cheap transportation would sell for at
least ten dollars per acre, or five hun
dred thousand dollars; making an in~
crease in the valuation OF these mineral
lands alone OF $4s7, 800. The remaining
Two hundred thousand acres of unculti~
waited lands are worth, at their present
taxable value, the sum of $50, 900, rating
them at 25cts per acre. Now, they are
about the finest timbered lands in the
State, and, with the advantage of
railroad, would be worth at least 81 so
per acre, upon an average, being an in
crease upon its present value offour hun
bred and fifty thousand dollars. As as
tOnishing as these figures may seem,
the calculation is not yet complete. The
improved lands have not been taken
into consideration. Their present valu
alton, as assessed for taxes, amounts to
the sum Ot one million, three hundred
and twenty-five thousand, eight hum
bred and sixty eight d liars. Now,
what per cent would rAilro I'D through
the heart OF the county enhance the
value of these improved lands? 1t is
generally admitted that it wOt.ld in
crease the valuation 5Octs.; but for fear
this estimate is too large, les US place it
at one hal or % per cent, and we have the
further sum OF three hundred and thir
w thousand and sixty seven dollars, as
increase on tillable lands. Let us take
a more concise view of these estimates,
before discussing other advantages to be
derived from the road.
Present value of real eastate. 3S4, 16S 90
Estimated value with railroad....S s., 653, 335 90
Making difference in value ofreal
estate with the road 269, 1877 90
Now suppose the county issue bonds
to the sum of one hundred and fifty
Thousand dollars, bearing per interest,
and payable in thirty yeals-the inter-
est would amount to nine thousand dol
lars per year. And tax of one per ce3t
on the increased valuation of real estate
alone would exceed the interest on the
bonds, and leave a surplus of 1851 81
per year. And it is to be observed that
nothing is taken into consideration in
this estimate except the enhanced val
ne of lands, leaving out other greater
advantages to be derived by the farming
community in the future; and among
these advantages we may be safe in put
ting down the amount saved in the sim
gle item of freight on cotton, at twenty
thousand dollars per annum Freight
on all other articles, except timber and
iron, $40, 900; and freight on timber and
iron at fifty thousand dollars per an
mum. These are low estimates, and the
increase in population, industry and
capital, have not been taken into con-
sideration. There are abundant facili-
ties Tor cotton ,ctOrIeS and other ma
chinery to be run by water power. The
water power on Buffalo River, Green
River, ForLy-eight Mile Greek, Indian
Creek and it's tributaries, and on Cy-
press and Buffers Creeks, is unsurpass-
ed in this or any other State; and with
the means of transportation will come
come millions of dollars for investment
in manufactures and machinery in that
field of undeveloped wealth and natu-
raj resources. Having shown that the
taxes on the increase in value of real
estate will be more than sufficient to
paw the annual interest on $3.50, 900 of
county bonds, we are we'll warranted in
making the assertion that the increase
in population and wealth by immigra~
ton, and by capital Invested i'll the
county for the next thirty years to
come, would raise fund necessary to
discharge the principal of these bonds
and leave large surplus on hand. And
it must lie remembered, too, that we
have made no allowance for the nett
earnings of the road, for if the county
take stock in the road to the amount of
$50, 900, she will be part owner in the
road and De entitled to her proportional
part in the profits arising from it. And
the road will be constructed on a much
cheaper plan than the roads now in ops
Grafton, ana Will De CdpdUlo OI LTdHS-
porting as much freight as any broad
gauge road, and it can be run with one
half the expense. 1t will connect the
coalfields of East Tennessee with the
iron mines of Lawrence and Wayne.
1t will be a link in the direct chain of
between Memphis, the
great emporium of the Mississippi
Valley, and the Atlantic seaboard; and
for these reasons, and many others, the
road cannot fail to be an incalculable
benefit to the country, and d source OF
profit to the stockholders. But along
the whole proposed line, no part of the
country will be so much beLefifed by
the building of the road as Wayne
county, with her untold millions OF
mineral wealth, fine water power, valu-
able tim bers, and immense quarries of
marble and limestone,
The county of Wayne is especially ex-
cepted out OF the three-tOurths rule pre-
scri bed by the constitution of lS6S-70,
and majority of the votes cast for or
against the taking of the stock will de.
eide the question.
Now it is matter of great importance
not only to the people of that county,
but to the commercial world, " neither
the people of that rich iron region will
rafuSa IN take the nrODOSad amOuOt Of