The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-01-10

*.
awaken private enterprise. Il ID too common
~ tho casa, whom financial calamity overtakes
the people, and panic ensues, with general loss
Of confidence, that the authorities national,
State and local-help to precipitate business
crises by stopping al or most Of the public
works in process Of construction, and those
engaged on them are thrown out OF employ.
ment, and go, 10 reinforce the already great
army Of idle people. Conversely, when oona-
dence is restored, business revives and enter
prise il buoyant, the authorities engage largely
in the erection Of buildings and, entering into
competition with private undertakings, assist
in running mp prices to unhealthy figures, to
be followed by collapse and the same rotation.
In my JUDGMENT, when private enterprise e
vigorous and employment is plentiful for al
who wieh it, the public should undertake -
little new work as possible, reserving its great
undertakings for seasons when 1t will lesst
compete with individual enterprise. II it be
objected that this would entail additional
taxation at time when people are least able
to bear it, answer, the results, in
the amount Of work done for the money IN
vested. the enhanced value Of property, the
employmentGiven TO persons who might otner-
wise require public support, and the inspiration
it would impart to individual effort. would
amply compensate for the additional burdens.
Again. il would be better to borrow money Tor
the prosecution Of needed improvements, at .
time like the present, than to forego the 3D.
vantages for doing the work afforded BY the
occasion. Never before, in the history OF the
State, has the Safe and municipal credit $1,000
higher, nor could money be borrowed 1T lower
rates, cannot say that favor borrowing
money BY the State, with our present rate OF
taxatiops Less than half dozen OF our sister
at ,tes have 80 low rate % has Iowa, the aver
age being not far from twice IS great As ours.
A moderate increase Of the State levy Ia. there
fore, in nv opinion, preferable to issuing bonds
particularly as the latter would not er,;g ~
the needed funds much sooner than would the
Increased levy, because Of the fact that the
Question OF borrowing must be voted on by the
peonle At the general election. But deem the
present and probably the future for few
wears. 80 opportune for the erection Of needed
public edifices that believe 1t well to consider
every plan for accomplishing the object that
may have any feasibility.
The right of the law making power to regu-
late railroad tariffs has been sustained by the
highest judicial tribunal Of the land, and sus-
tanned too not merely because Of the ample
reservations made in the land grant and other
acts Of our Legislatures, but on broader pr1n-
ciples, such, indeed, Is are essential to we'll
ordered governments, and cannot out thlnk
that corporaterights are more securely guarded
TO-DAY by reason Of this decision than il the
determination of the disputed question had
<en otherwise. In bringing about this result,
the State Of Iowa has had, rs it were, the lead
ership, the mastery argument OF its late At
torney General apparently pointing the way to
the decision. The matter OF authority having
been Invested Of doubt, the consideration OF
the tariff question may now be had freed from
much Of the acrimony attending previous
discussions Of the subject. see
no good reason for the entire repeal OF the
law. I am aware that it is argued that its re-
tention has the effect to deter capital from in
vesting In railroads in Iowa. This may be, but
do not find that the absence OF such . statute
has had the effect to hasten more rapidly the
construction Of railroads in neighboring States.
I find Fiat. during the years 1874, 1875 and
1875. the increase Of railroad mileage in Iowa
was greater, both absolutely and relatively,
than In either Of our sister States on the north
and west, while those Of our neighbors that
showed most deci ed increase were Illinois
aud Wisconsin, both having laws regulating
railroads. Nevertheless, I believe 1t wise that
. thorough examination be had into the
working Of the details Of the law, and such
notifications made therein as may seem for
the best interests of both the people and
the railroads. The State Of Iowa has been
liberal in the extreme to this class Of enter
prise. The first land grants made by Congress
were turned over to the companies absolutely,
although the act Of Congress contemplated
the sale of the lands by the State as earned,
and the devotion OF the proceeds to the con-
struction of railroads the companies were per-
mitted to select the lands regardless Of their
line Of road and they were allowed, virtually
their own time to complete their work, not
withstanding that one main object Of the
grants Was to secure this completion ut an
early day. Townships, towns and cities have
been permitted to tax the property within their
limits to help build the roads, and the revenue
thus derived was turned over absolutely to the
companies constructing them, while much Of
the property Of these companies practically es-
capes municipal taxation. That State which
has been thus muni6cent in her encourage
ment Of this class Of enterprise should have
some control In the management Of these
roads, so largely the creatures Of It's bounty, is
only reasonable demand. That this control
shall be judiciously exercised, go that, while
not discourage enterprise on the other, is the
dictate Of wisdom.
The creation of the Office of Railroad Com
missioner, with powers and duties similar to
those exercised by like officials In other states.
to be filed by some competent person, skilled
in the knowledge needed in such position I
believe advisable, and recommend that the
the Senate or Executive Council, to make such
appointments.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and nli-
nois Central Railroad Companies, and the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and st. Paul Railway Company.
having each filed the bond required by chapter
1873, Of the acts Of the last General Assembly.
my predecessor issued to them certificates IN
May, 1876, that they had complied with the
act Since then it is believed the Tariff law
has been very generally complied with by the
railroad companies.
During the past two years the Sigouruey
branch Of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific
railroad has been extended to Knoxville the
county seat OF Marion county, making an ad-
dition Of forty nine miles. The Pacific division
Of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern
railway has been built from Tfaer into Grundy
county, distance Of twenty-five miles, while
the main line was built from Plymouth, Cerro
Gordo county, to junction with the Central
Railroad Of Iowa, and from Northwood, Worth
county, northward to Albert Lea, In Minnie
sofa, the addition In Iowa being about nine
miles The Iowa and Pacific railroad, oper-
ated b, the Chicago, Dubuque and Minnesota
Company, has been extended from Export.
Clayton county, to Lima, Fayette county.
thir1y-6ve miles. The Des Moines and MIN
nesota railroad has been built ten miles fur.
Their, TO Story City, Story county. The Chi
cago, Newton and southwestern has passed into
tne nanos OF the Iowa, Minnesota and North
Pacific Company, and has been completed from
Newton to Monroe, making an addition of
thirteen miles. The Sioux City and Pembins
road, operated by the Dakota Southern Com
pany, has been built eleven miles in Plymouth
county. A new narrow-gauge road has been
BY the Burlington and Northwest
ern Railway Company, from Burlington to Win
deld, Henry county, thirty-four miles, including
= third rail for part Of the distance on another
No Ia \. u
GENTLY built from the Chicago and Northwest
ern railway, through Sac and Ida counties, to
IN Monons county. The Fort Dodge
and Fort Ridgely railroad was built northward
eleven miles into Humboldt county. The
Crooked Creek Narrow-Gauge railroad was
constructed from Fort Dodge, nine miles, to
Tyson's Mill, and the Chicago, Clinton and
Western railroad is IN operation from Iowa
City to Elmira, on the B., g. R. & N. railway,