The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-01-26
WILL nrPAY.

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In further consideration of this
subject. ne come to the question OF
taxation. This is subject which
touches each one OF us vitality once
or twice each year, while the bene-
fits we derive from our railroads
are distributed throughout the year.
aud we are not SPIT 10 appreciate
them.
There probably is not q sane man
. In the county, who would consent
TO be deprived OF our present roads.
on condition that our bonds should
+ be- returned to Us, and also every
dollar we have paid with interest
thereon,
sl Suppose that the $1,000 tons Of
freight 10 aud from this city last
year, had been moved to and from
Kansas City. by teams at SI.00 per
hundred, less than we used to pay
for snch hauling, It would have cost
our people tho round sum of $780,
O00I Deduct what was actually
paid. to the railroads for this SER
vice, say $500. 900. and we have a
saving Of $440,O00-more than our
entire bonded debt saved in one
yearl We give this illustration
merelv to show what benefits we
receive for the railroad tax we pay.
Notwithstanding the remarkable
shrinkage in values of the past three
years, and the consequent increase
per cent. of taxation, our taxes are
actually LESS than they were before
the reads were built, and We COM
menced paying interest on our
bonds. This OF course is mainly
owing to the additional property in
the county to tax. The roads them
selves pay one tenth of all the taxes.
The gross amount of cur taxes
would not be percepiibly increased,
IL our population and wealth were
doubled, while the amount per cent.
would be decreased one half. The
taxable. property of this county for
1876, at very low assessment, was
in round numbers, S4,000,000, and
the rate of taxation a fraction over
threS per cent.
Now suppose this proposition to
be adopted and the taxable property
of the comfy to remain exactly as
It is now, the rate of taxation would
be increased two mills on dollar,
or two dollars on a thousand.
But the road itself and its ad-
juncts will add at q low valuation
at least $500, 900 10 the taxable prop
erty OF the county, and will thus it.
self pay six thousand, of the addi-
tional eight thousand dollars added
to our present taxes. New whe
will pay the other two thousand?
Even IL not another dollar was add
ed to the wealth of the county from
abroad, the reasonable increase in
taxable value of the property in this
city and other points along the line,
would more than pay this addition
alamount.-
It would only require the addi-
ton to our tax roll of &c., 66 to
raise the amount required, oyer and
above what the railroad itself would
pay, In order to leave the present
property fthe county taxed as it is
now.
We showed last week that the far
mer and the stock raiser derived
the principal benefit of cheap
freights, and we have now shown
that he does not pay a single dollar
OF the expenses necessary to obtain
cheap freights, unless his farm lies
so near some town or village
through which the road runs, as to
be Increased in assessable value.
Those living farthest from the
road, should be its warmesL friends.
II there is any opposition TO the
proposition, and IL looks now as
though there would be very little,
IL should come from the towns, from
the owners OF reproductive proper
~. We have heard several of our
business men say that they were
tired OF being accused of forcing
railroads on the county, increasing
taxation, etc, and that they did net
care whether freights were reduced
or net, and should not advocate this
proposition, unless the farmers de-
manded 1t.
There Is another view TO be taken
of this subject. Emporia township,
including the city, contains one
thirteenth of the number of acres in
the county. and now pays over one
third Of all the taxes. With the
Building Of this road, thereby slim
ulating production by making farm
ing more profitable, the construc-
ton OF machine shops, and main
tainance OF the general offices here,
the impetus given to ell kinds of
business at this and other points in
the county, would undoubtedly, in
. very few years, make this city
of ten thousand Inhabitants. Such
. city would not only furnish a
home market for large amount of
our products, upon which No.freight
would be paid, but would lead to
I the manufacture of many of the ar
ticles we now import. and so in
crease the taxable properly of the
city and vicinity, that taxes IN the
county would be very materially
reduced.