The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-02-16
600. 600. s1.O7o.oOo

Now, in all seriousness, we think
this a fair estimate. We have reduced
it to hard-pan basis, leaving imitation
and imaginary wealth by the way
side. 1t shows that In thirty years the
people will be taxed for railroads
alone over one-forth of their entire
worth. Or, in other words, if q man
has 160 acres of land valued at $4,000,
in thirty years the railroads will have
consumed over forty acres of it.
Now for the benefits to be derived
from the proposed road outside 81 its
taxable property. VIII the NEWS, or
some ''other fellow" tell US how q
third railroad is to be maintained
when the two already in operation
make less than the interest on their
indebtnesss Is the county storing
away produce III It it refuses to export
until it gets cheaper transportation
Are cur producers becoming wealthy,
and greater in numbers? No, but Oh
the contrary, the county has grown
poorer, and the producers less in num-
bers since the completion of the last
road in operation. The taxable prop
erty in the county was greater in 1870
by nearly Sl22.000 than it is to-day.
One railroad is sufficient to carry the
produce of the whole country; and
how we are to obtain cheaper freignts
by adding another road to struggle
for maintenance among q handful of
producers, is what we do not under
stand. If farmer owns two good
horses, and has labor, for but one
could he expect to bring down the
price of provinder by purchasing an
other horse to feed?
But, it is argued, that the proposed
road is to be maintained as ian indie
pendent road, unconnected with the
road-bed or track of any other railroad
! in the county, What of 1t? Be-
cause they have no connections in
tracks or rosd-beds, does that prohibit
them from having business relations
with the other roads? Does that pro-
hibit them from selling the shipping
interests of Emporia to enc of the 9TH
er roads? Is net the II. X. & T. an
independent road in this county. It
certainly is; but it sells out to the
other road. There is not one particle
of assurance, 30 far IS we can learn.
that the proposed road, if built, would
not do the same. It looks reasonable
that it would do SO. There VIII then
be three roads to maintain instead of
two. and as the business is not in the
country and they all have to maintain
an existence it looks reasonable that
freights will be one-third higher than
now.
VIII another road induce inmigra-
tion? We think not. 4 tax Of nearly
4 per cent. on assessed values has, as
we stated elsewhere, already redaced
our finances and caused people to emf
CRATE. Add an other s1Oe.OO TO our
indebtedness and capitalists will not
come here to invest, but others will
go away, also.
We venture to say that $50, GOO in
vested IN q mandatory OF castor and
fax seed oils, go, 900 in a wooden fac
tory, and another $4,000 in other
needed home enterprises would settle
and put in cultivation every unoecu-
pied quarter sectAsn in tbs county in
so years time.
The business transactions with the
railroad at this place sor the past year
has been as follows:
Out going freights, $II ,92l .O6
Incoming freights, 2,OO0.43
Total, eI3 1921 40
VIII the NKws please give the
amount of onr bonded Indebtedness
outside of the railroad bonds, incIud-
ing Emporia city bonds?
JOHNNY SMoKER.