The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-03-22

THE INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY
COMPANY.


preme Court, was, while u member OF
the Fourteenth Legislature, q Jealous
and pronounced advocate, II not the
originator, Of the bill granting to the
International Railway Company, IN
lieu of $S,0OO,0O0 of bonds due ina.
road by the State, twenty sections OF
land to the mile from its eastern
terminus for the distance OF SIX nun
dred and thirty miles across the state'
which said land and the certihcates
representing the same, together win
the railway itself, was declared TO
be exempt from all municipal, county
or State taxation Of whatsoever char
acter or description for the period OF
twenty-five years, BY the terms OF
this bill twelve thousand and six hun
dred square miles OF public domain is
granted to the Company; territory
larger by one thousand three hun
dred and thirty-three square miles
than Belgium, and Belgium has po'
pulation of 5,0S7, l05 souls, who pay an
annual revenue to the government OF
81, 1904.
On this twelve thousand six hundred
square miles all the property owned by
the Belgians, worth untold Millions
all their factories, machinery, mills,
stores, villas and palaces, would be ex-
empt from taxation for twenty years.
Every farm that is opened upon It,,
every dwelling or mill or factory that
may be erected upon these lands Is ex-
empt from taxation for twenty-five
wears. No conceivable State tax can
touch the property.
The six hundred and thirty miles OF
railway through the heart Of the State
would be- worth at thirty five thousand
dollars per mile 22,O5O, 900, and were
this property taxable, and placed upon
the rolls at Its actual value, 1t would,
aggregating State, county and mu-
nicipal taxation, produce o rev.
enue at one and one-halt per
cent of $33O,75O per annum, or in
twenty-five years the enormous sum
OF $S,288,75O. All of this prop
erty is exempt from taxation by the
terms Of the bill passed.
With the road completed to the Rio
Grande, which would have been near.
ly accomplished ere this, had the orig
inal bill granting the road S3,0OO,OOO
not been vetoed, the lowest estimate
that could have been placed upon the
gross earnings Of the road would have
been ST., 900, 600 per annum or $I5, OOO, OO'
In twenty-five years. Not one dime
OF this enormous income can be taxed
under the provisions OF the bill urged by
John Ireland. The land grant to the
road amounts to eight million sixty
four thousand acres OF public domain
every acre Of which the company can
sell, and Is selling at fifty cents. This
grant alone, then, is worth to them ST.
$4,000, that is $l,032,0OO more than
the bill which the Hon. John ireland
was 30 instrumentalin killing.
AS q grand total the results Of Tho
bill passed are about as follows:
One and half per cent tax on ST.
$4,000 for twenty i've years. ..-...s S,26S, 20
S,00i,000 acres OF land ut 60cts....... 4,O32,OO
One and half per cent tax on "a
032,OC0 for twenty five years...."... l,5l2,OO
Grand total .si3 Sl2, rs
Add to this the tax that might b,
levied on an Income of$75. 900, 900, an,
the tax that might be levied on the i'm
provements, mills, factories, ETC., tina
may be made On the eight million six
ty.four thousand acres by settlers, al
OF which is exempted and released
from all State, county, town, city
municipal and other taxes,n for .
quarter Of century, and We can form
some Inadequate conceptions of thu
grant made to the International Rail
way Company.
The provision OF the Internationa
railway bill authorizing the company
or any purchaser of these certificates
to locate them as original headright
were located, that Is, not requiring thu
company or holder Of the certificates
to locate an alternate section for the
State, as every other railway company
In the State has been required to do, IL
IN immense advantage. With In
ternational certificates any number OF
acres from one to one hundred thou
sand can be located In one body, where
az all other railways holding certif.
Gates must for each and every certifi.
cate Of six hundred and forty acres 10.
cate side by side with their location
an additional six hundred and forty
acres for the State. An ordinary rail.
road certificate cannot be located on
less than 1880 acres Of land In one
body. An International certificate can
be located on any number of acres,
whether crest or small, and is not re-
quired to locate an alternate section
for the State. The original
bill granting 100000 to the In
ternational railway company would
have ere this secured the completion
Of this road to the citles Of Austin and
San Antonio, and would have benefit
ted that section Of the State In which
John Ireland lives beyond the power
ofpen to picture. The immigration
and capital that would have
poured into that part of Texas "a
develop ard build it up, would
have equalled II not surpassed the
hood tide rushing In upon as Of Dallas