The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-10-24
Objections to County and Cor.
POraGiOn subscriptions 10
Railroads ARSW cred.


POraGiOn subscriptions 10
Railroads AnSw cred.
There are some objections made to
county subscriptions to railroads
which are so common, and at the
same time so unreasonable, that it is
only necessary to look into them to
show their want Of soundness. They
will be noticed in regular rotation.
OBJECTION FIRsT-That Railroads
should be built by private subscrip-
scriptions, and those who want them
should build them.
ANswER-Railroads are either of
public benefit or they are not. If of
public benefit, the public should as
sist in building them, each man ac-
cording to his ability. If they are
not of public benefit, they should not
be built at all. No men of any in
telligence can deny that they are of
PUBLIC benefit. They never have
been built alone by private subscrip-
ton, and they never will be; there
fore, to oppose county or corpora
ton subscription, is to oppose the
building of railroads. If only those
who are willing to subscribe to the
building of railroads could share their
benefits, then there might be justice
in building them by private subscrip-
ton, but when those who pay moth
ing often receive the most benefit, be-
cause that have the most property,it is
unfair that roads which are of gene
raj benefit should be built by few
liberal, public spirited men.
OBJECTION SECoND-The taxation
necessary to build the road will be
burdensome upon the people.
ANswER-This Is a mistake. The
decrease in the cost of Transporting to
market the articles produced on
farms or in factories, and the conse-
quent increase in the value of the
articles produced, will be at least
three times as much as the amount
of the tax. For instance, q man
who has to pay fifty dollars a year as
n railroad tax, and who gets one
hundred and fifty dollars year more
for what he raises, because he has the
railroad, makes clear each year one
hundred dollars, besides having stock
in the road. A county which pays
$4,000 per annum railroad tax and
saves S45, 900 per annum in decreas-
ed transportation, and consequent in
crease i'll the value of the articles pro-
duced, makes $4,000 each year
on this account. There is no county
that will subscribe to a good railroad,
and pay the subscription in twenty
year bonds, but what will save three
times as much a year as she has to
pay, and often much more. So,
then, instead of its being a tax or a
burden, it is saving and a blessing
OBJECTION TH1RD-It will make
labor high by creating a demand for
it.
This, instead of being an objection,
should be a great recommendation.
Labor is high generally because the
products of labor are high. A man
whose corn is worth one dollar per
Dushel, and other things in the same |
can afford to pay more for
abor than if these articles were worth |
My half that amount The labor of |
he county produces the wealth of the |
county, and it should be well reward
Il. The man who cultivates his own
and wants the productions of that
and TO bring him good price, and
he man who hires labor can afford, |
nd will afford, to pay good wages
When he gets good prices for what he
aises, or rather for what the labor
rs raise for him.
OBJECTION FoURIR-It will raise
he rent of land.
ANSWERED. it does it will raise
he price of all the articles raised on
he land. A renter can much easier
av five dollars an acre rent when he
an sell readily what he raises at high
rices, which a railroad will enable
i'm to do, than he can TO pay two
ollars an acre when he has no mar
ct, and has TO sell at low prices. If
man pays one-third of what he
lises, as is often the case, whilst this
lird will be made more valuable to
lie owner of the land on account of
IS having the railroad, the other
vo-third, for the same reason, will
e much more valuable TO the man
no cultivates the land. If q Labor l
cultiymes the land for one-half, rs =
sometimes done, wherever there IS 7