National Republican., 1878-01-29
Building More Railroads Out Of
the Treasury.

the Treasury.
After II became apparent that the first
railroad to the Pacific was feasible and
would succeed, Congress was beseiged for
charters and land grants to build more. II
was then the policy of Congress to encour-
age three or four lines Of settlement across
the continent, and so liberal grants Of land
and bonds were given during n time Of war,
and for special military and political reasons
to the first line, but very wisely, rs it now
appears, the aid to all subsequent roads was
! confined to lands. In 1864 magnificent
grant was made to the Northern Pacific
along the forty-seventh parallel; in 1866
similar grant to the Atlantic and Pacific,
along the thirty-fifth parallel; and in 1871
a similar grant to the western half of the
Texas Pacific, along the thirty second parul-
lei, the eastern half of this line being richly
! endowed also by the State of Texas. In all
these charters there was prcst Tibed rate
of speed for construction and limit within
which the whole road must be completed.
That time has already expired on the thirty
fifth parallel route; on the Northern Pacific
it soon will expire, and an extension of time
is asked for which, in some guarded form,
! will no doubt be granted at this session.
The grant 10 the Texas Pacific has still
: four years to run, but as there are more
, than seven hundred miles to be built before
5 the Congressional land-grant can be reached
in the Territories, and eight hundred miles
| TO he built west Of Texas before the grant
can be earned, it is moi at all likely that it
: can now be saved from lapse, as the company
= confesse. its inability TO build further unless
I Congress comes to its relief and grants
: more time and guarantee Of its mortgage
/ bonds in addition. That application is now
r pending and under discussion in committees.
0 1t asks for this aid at the rate of S35, 900 per
: mile, on two hundred and fifty miles, and
: at the rate of S2G,0OO per mile, for one
!. thousand one hundred and fifty
: miles, and the same rate on about one thou
@ sand five hundred miles of branch
d lines to the Mississippi River, maknga total
# of Endorsements OF nearly S63,00OO00 Of
c bonds, for the interest on which the United
: States will he liable for fifty years Vari-
: Gus arguments are offered for this legisla-
= tiOn, such as the great economy to the
/
: Government in its transportation, the
q greater security to the border, the develop
o ment of the mining and other industries
IS and the promise of line competing fol
l. overland traffic If these arguments ar,
Il weighty enough to justify Congress in start
n ing the Government aircsh in in
I. dorsng the promises to pay of railroad
g corporations, there is no doubt they will b'
n used to justify the construction and indOrse
m ment of many more railroads than Tho
h Texas and Pacific; and in fact, there car
!, be no end to its doing so until its credit il
n exhausted. Already the mere fact tha
ii these pleas are urged and received seriously
II in Congress has started brood OF sucl
schemes for railroads both broad and mar
o row gauge all over the country-canals
!" lcvees, steamship lines, &c. The calls 10
Government loans and Inducements TO
+ works Of improvement by corporations, al
d ready introduced. amount to more than
,e hundred and fty millions; and if it wcr
n. once believed that the Texas and Pacif
A. demand would succeed we should have tn
10 Northern Pacific and the Mexican Paciii
IT and dozen other roads asking for thrc
rr times that sum before the session closed.
W 4 good deal of the wind has been take
,c from these Pacific Railroad subsidy scheme
nj by the offer of the Southern Pacific Rail
ne road. at one end, o build the road acros
s. the Territories rs far east rs FL PaSo with
q, out any other aid than the land grant; and b
Is the offer ofa Texas corporation, the Houston
t. and San Antonio, which has already pushc
of its tracks 10 within five hundred mil,
" of FL Paso 10 meet the Southern Pacih
IS at the Rio Grandc for grant of $4,000 pc
AS mile. There can hardly he doubt that
to the west half Of the gap is completed by
n iRnd-grant, the Texas end will be pushc
ce forward to form a connection with ii, a
BIT both ends would profit from through tralli
ire This combination, if legislation be granite
te. would provide another transcOn tincnt
of road without committing the Treasury
he any great liability for the Texas porto
mis- which runs in close proximity to Il
NJ frontier, and without any pccuniary Ii
ITO bility for the western half. This then,
ds the question now presented to COngrcs
cir whether it will open afresh the chapter
It's private capital provide transportatiC
10 routes as fast and as far as they are ncedc
on, There are several objections to be broug
v a against the details of the Texas Paci
Ter bills, such as the provisions for duplicatil
,ry the line across Arkansas, so as to secure
we Mississippi terminus at Memphis; and
extending the subsidized line across Sout
as ern California TO San Diego, when there
ID, already u road built and in operation, und
Ies the same act of Congress, able to do Il
of business. The argument for these sup,
as fluous additions at each end is that they a
ry, necessary to create competing line to {
N existing Pacific roads. This seems to
ad taking 1t for granted that it is the prop
ted function Of Congress to provide roads
ino the public expense to compete with 9th
roads built by its citizens, a doctrine whiC
of if once accepted, would open an IL
ose limited field for its activity. A col
Dns peting road from the national capt.
nd to New York, or from New Yo