The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-22
Louisiana Railroads,
IN. o. Price Current I

| There never was time when the necessit,
| for railroad commune alton with North western
Louisiana and Northeastern and Southern
| Texas was more evident than the present A.
long as the prescience of theory demonstrated
| the future Importance of both the public ad
mltted the argument without being impressed
WIFI tne conviction OF acting under it. What
| was foreseep is now fact. The railway com.
| munlcation between North western Louisiana
| and Northeastern Texas aud the West has di-
Verted from us business enough to yield a
suinc'ent proht to pay large portion of the
cost OF construction. The interest on $40, 900, =
ooO expended tive years ago on the lines desiy-
mated, would hardly have absorbed one-thrd
OF the profits on our increased trade, and on
| diverted from us. 1t would hardly be extrav-
| agant to assert that, in our leading staple
alone, the excess In our receipts, over what we
nave actually received, would have not been
less than OOO, OOO bales, annual average
of 1000 bales. But this is only one item of
the many that could be placed to the credit of
the rail, which would have placed MS in such
quick and unfailing communication with
North western Louisiana and Northeastern
Texas that the entire supplies required by
the increasing population of that fertile region
would have been purchased in this city, in
stead OF, as at present, to great extent, at St.
Lonis and other Western towns. The trade
formerly transacted with the section referred
to, has been steadily drained from us, and all
our wholesale dealers, especially the dry
goods, variety, and grocery trades, can count
up heavy losses from this diversion. 1t is not
surprising, therefore, that new and strenuous
effort should be made to construct a road
based upon means furnished by the sale of the
companys bonds with the interest for a GER
tain period secured, or provided for, by the
city from a small tax on real estate. The OBJ
lection made TO the projet was, that it would be
laying an impost on property in the upper and
back parts of the city for the special benefit of
the business portion, and upon real estate
holders already crushed by their oppressive
taxes. for the benefit of the commercial classes.
1t could be shown that this is fallacious
view of the question. Property outside of the
business centre depends, for it's value on trade
enabling its employees, including therein all
mechanics employed by the commercial COM
munity, to pay rent and furnish employ ment
to the industrial classes. Even now, small
houses occupied by clerks and laborng men,
period. Only q few years since it was other
wise. The losses from nou-payment of rents
and from stores and dwelling houses being I'M
tenanted, fell mainly on the business section of
the city, and on the larger class of buildings
occupied by merchants, professional men and
Others who required spacious stores and
luxurious dwellings,; while, at the same time,
the men of humble means, the clerks, me-
chanics etc, whose rent ranged from $50 to
$40 per month, rarely failed meet their obli-
cations to the landlords. The loss of trade SO
far from being confined to the merchants, has
been felt in every class of our Community and
by few more than the humble classes we have
mentioned. Salaries have been reduced one
third, in many cases leaving an insufficient
sum for the employee to obtain the actual
necessaries of life for himself and family. On
an average, mechanics are employed only for
half time, or in other words, one-half of them,
taking the average of the year, are idle. The
excess in the supply of workmen over the de-
mand, has it's inevitable effect of reducing
wages. Under such circumstances the tenant
is unable to pay his rent, and the landlord
must indulge him month after month, or dis
train upon his furniture. In one place he is
deprived of income for indefinite period
in the other, the property when sold will net
m ma scia IN tha cha
of the officials employed. Hence, this kind of
property is now regarded as the least desirable
of any, and men once rendered Independent by
their rental find it difficult to pay their taxes
and have little left for family subsistence
Now, these are patent facts. Every intelli-
gent observer is aware of them. 1t requires
distress is caused by our loss of trade. Know
ing the cause, it is not difficult to designate
the remedy-to establish the proposition that
the owners of real estate outside of the bust
with the owners of stores, in in
creasing our trade. But to accomplish this it
is manifest that we must effect railroad con
nection with the railroad system in Texas, and
with Northwestern Louisiana.
The latest pronosition, however, has obvated
tue objection made that a tax real estate
alone would be an impost it for the
especial benefit of commercial men. 1t is now
proposed that the tax shoald be personal
property well. The humble citizen whose |
homestead and personal property will be as
,essed at $1,000, at railroad tax of mills will
have to pay additional tax of $40 per |
.nnum, and his rich employer, whose home |
and personals are assessed at $50. 900, will pay |
800. We would like to see detailed state
nent of all assessments of $4,000 and less, all
rom $4,000 to s., 900, and 30 on by an ascend
pg progress to 100000 and upwards, and
low much has been paid, and how much re-
Mains due on each class. 1t would show at q
glance tn g resources of the city, and the means
# taxpayers to furnish the aid required for the
obstruction of the proposed roads, 1t would,
moreover, concentrate public opinion with
UGH power that the latter would compel
Eealthy delinquents to walk up to the cap
aims Office without further delay.
POPULATION AND C1RcULAT1oN.-The Gin
innati Gazette makes the folio wing compsri-
on between France and the United States