Litchfield enquirer., 1874-07-16
Town Subscriptions to Rai,roads.

Among the proposed amendments of
 one Constitution reported in the IegisIa- lure, IS one forbidding town subscrip- tions to railroads. There is no doubt that m few instances in this state com munities have been induced to subscribe more largely than the result has proved to
 be for their good. Middletown. town and city, is now loaded with debt amounting to near sixteen per cent of her grand list; Chatham is burdened to the extent of near thirteen per cent. and Middle sex countya as whole, has municipal in doubtedness equal to about ten per cent on its grand list. Most of this indebted ness was incurred in helping the construe- ton of the Air Line railroad, aid it will be many q year, probably, before Middle sex county Hill receive incidental aavan- tages equal to its enomnns outlay. The difficulty in this case was that the and first voted proved insufficient to build the road. and the money put in would have been substantially lost had not further sums been voted. There is undoubtedly q great difference, too, between the burden of heavy debts amounting to eight or nine per cent of their grand lists upon thriving places like Hartford, Meriden, and Nor wich, and that of a simular debt on a town that IS retrograding in population, if not In wealth, as is the case with most of our agricultural towns
 Still, so important IS railway commni- cation it these days, that We doubt wheth- CT there is one of the many towns that have incurred indebtedness III aid of rail- roads, except perhaps town or two Tn Middlesex county, that would to-day vote to give up their railroads and take back money those railroads have cost them The two most heavily burdened towns in this county are Norfolk, indebted over eight per cent of its grand list and Wash ingten, indebted about 6 per cent. Yet both these towns, before isolated, and abounding in useless waterPower, are now trayerSed by railroads, running along the streams that must be utilized sometime for manufacturing purposes We have no doubt, heavy as the direct and Incidental expense has been, that both these towns acted wisely in aiding the construction of the railroads that will eventually build them up. Still, where growth i'll business or manufactures IS not likely to result from the building of 2 railroad the adyan- tage it will bringing to farming towns is not so great as to warrant very large town subscriptions.
 Our idea would be, therefore, that there ought to be no absolute prohibition of town aid to railroads engrafted on our constitution. There ought, however, to be some provision, statutory or constitu- tional. that town money shall not be paid over till it will ensure the building of the road aided. Furthermore there should be constitutional limit to the amount towns should be allowed to subscribe; and that limit should be much lower in towns with decreasing or station ary population or grand lists, than in towns showing growing population and property. With some such restrictions, and with sufficient security that those owning a majority of property taxed shall favor subscription. we sec no req son why. town hid to railroads should not be permitted in the future as in the past.