The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-10-22
wAUHROAO RUTLDlNG.

RAILROAD BUILDING.
Now that the subject of addition
al railroad facilities is uppermost in
the public mind, perhaps few facts
on the general subject of railroads
may not be uninteresting.
The great problem of cheap trans
pOrtation has not yet been practic-
ally solved. a vast amount of val
nabie information has been collect
ed on the subject, but has not been
as yet utilized to any considerable
extent. As the question now stands,
the capitalist demands higher tariff
OF rates in order to give him reas-
enable return for his investment,
while the producer demands low
er rate in order to give him profit
above the cost Of production. The
struggle has been going on for two
or three years, and many hard
words have been used on both sides.
Both parties are right from their
different stand points, and each
would do exactly as the other does,
we're their relative positions revers-
ed This difference of interests will
invariably continue until one of two
things Occurs-the volume of bus
mess for our present roads must be
largely increased, or cheaper roads
must be provided.
1t will do no good to build COM
peting roads as costly as the present
ones, for were they built and pre-
sented to US as . gin, we could not
pay current expenses and repairs,
with the present tariff, on . fair
share of the present business.
The builders OF railroads in the
west have been of two classes. The
smaller class have built roads, AS
men would build anything else-for
use an, profit, and have constructed
them substantially, and as cheapiy
as practicable, with the view 10 own
and operate them. The other, and
by far the larger class, have built
roads with q view to make as much
money az possible during the con-
structiOn. by means of land grants,
local or government aid, mortgage
ing the road as heavily as possible,
Specializing in real estate along the
line-in short, squeezing out every
dollar possible as soon as possible,
then to let the bond holders take the
road, only to find that they have an
elephant on their hands, and a very
expensive animal at that. This game
has been played so often as TO be.
come stale, and it has at last become
impossible to sell even first mort.
gage bonds of new railroad at any
price, and that, too, at a tine when
millions are lying idle, or nearly so
waiting for safe investment.
Tue proverbial timidity of capital
has of late received so severe q
shock, that it will not even look al
q new railroad enterprise, however
J meriiOriOus. II these are facts, and
they will scarcely be denied, it II
plain that it will be useless for some
time to come, to look for foreign
capital to help US solve the problem
of cheap land transportation.
We must depend upon ourselves
aud in order 10 ascertain what il
necessary to accomplish our pur
pOses, it will be the object of sub
sequent articles TO show exactly thu
cost OF the different kinds of rail
: roads, from the obsolete seven fee
to the modern three feet gauge, tn,
cost of operating the same, and tint
} amount of business necessary t.
, make them paying Investments.
And apart from the general sub
ject of railroad building in Kansas
I shall attempt to offer a few sug
gestiOns which may assist ablel
minds to work out a practical plaI
to relieve the pressing necessity foI
cheaper transportation in South
western Kansas.
: The first step, in my opinion, il
to remove all restrictions on thu
right of the people in their collec
tive capacity, to use their credit
The whole mass of the people ar,
certainly better judges of what il
good for them, than q mere fraction
of themselves. called a legislature
Because few men abuse their cred
r il, shall all men forever more be for
hidden to properly use theirs?
A vast deal of mystery and hum
! bug has been thrown around rail
road building, until, in the popula
: mind, some unseen superhunlal
; power is supposed to exists some
} where, which furnishes the money
, and controls the action of the mel
who appear to do the work. 1t i
time THE misty impression was re
} moved, aud people made to believt
that il requires no higher order o
, tal-nI to build and operate 3 rail
; road, than it dees to build and op
crate q mill or factory. B.
3 COMMENDABLE ENTERPRISE.
= The A. Il. e =. n. HRaIIrOas
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