Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-04-25
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE YORK COUNTY BONDS.

EDITOR OF THE ENQUIRER: After care
full reading of the proceedings in your last
issue, before Judge Hudson, in relation to
the York county railroad bonds, | have reach
ed some conclusions that may or may not be
worth printing. Such as they are, shall,
without more ado about it, submit them.
was originally, and am yet, opposed to
the manner of this subscription. | do not
believe, and never shall believe, that three
County Commissioners ought to be clothed
with power to entail deb. like this upon the
taxpayers of a county without their consent.
If the Constitution and laws authorized it, as
see has been argued, the Constitution and
laws are wrong, and ought to be so changed
as to prevent, in future, the exercise of such
powers am told that an amendment to
the State Constitution, which was voted upon
about the year 1874, and adopted by the
votes of the people, prohibiting, in some
shape or other, the exercise of such powers,
was never ratified by the Legislature. Let it
be renewed, and come up again for adoption,
and be incorporated in the organic law of the
State, lest, at some future time, great and ir-
reparable evil follow as a consequence of
such power.
But, in the present instance. | am candid
enough to say that do not think the people
of York county have been badly injured, if
injured at ALL The more bitter opponents of
the bonds will, perhaps, stand aghast at this
statement; while the friends of the road will
saw it is very tmid succor These views are
nv own, Mr.. Editor, and I am responsible to
nobody but myself for them. How and why
have reached themI may as we'll state.
Town a farm situated between this road,
with its two outlets at Chester and Gastonia,
and another railroad traversing the county.
In 1874 and 1875, before the new road was
built, it cost So per bale to snip cotton to
New York. In 1877 and 1878, after the new
line was opened, it cost 1915 per bale; thus
saving to me 81 25 on every bale of cotton
sold Although I did not ship my cotton, but
sold it at home, the savingin freight was paid
to me in the price I got for it. produced
about twenty-one bales in 1874, and about
the same number in 1877. l saved here.
at Sl.25 per bale, S26.25 on my cotton
crop, by reduced freights | used three tons
of yuano each of these years, and paid the
freight in cash. In 1874 I paid $3.50 per
ton in 1877 and 1878 paid S400 per ton.
I thus saved $l0.50 in freight, each year, on
nv three tons, in clean hard cash.
I have taken the pains to inquire the
freight rates upon certain other supplies, and
find the following as the rates in 1874: Ba-
con, molasses, iron, nails, sugar, coffee, bag
ging and ties, from northern or western mar
kets, cost 50 cents per hundred pounds In
1877 and 1878. they cost 55 cents per hun
dred pounds, thus saving 40 cents per hun
dred pounds to the consumer. Salt in 1874
was 70 cents per sack now 1t is 30 cents
Dry goods were $l.90 per hundred pounds !;
now Sl.4O. I know that this reduction in
freights, which the producer and consumer had
to pay, is due to the opening Of this new road
in competition with other lines, and to the
forced abandonment of the onerous freight
tariffs to which nearly the whole of York
county had been so long subjected.
My property, real and personal, stands on
the tax. books assessed at S4,650. My an
nual tax to pay interest on these bonds is
S69S. In 1871 I saved on my cotton and
guano alone, S3675, which paid my interest
tax and left me S29.77 nett profit | have
not computed here the S4.65 of tax, paid by
me to retire bends; because the more | pay to
retire, the less pay as interest the next year.
But take this of, too, and still have paid all
my taxes out of the profits, and have saved
S2512-the profits being about two and a
half times greater than the amount OF tax
paid.
There has been shipped over this road. to
points in York county, between January lst
and April 10th, 1878, about 1900 tons of
gusno. A saving of $3.50 per ton is a saw
ing of $4,000 to the farmers of the county.
There was shipped, from September 1st, 1877,
to April Goth, 1878, over this road, from va
rious points in York county, about 5000
bales of cotton. A saving of Sl.25 per bale
in the freights on this article, is $500.
Guano and cotton alone, by actual reference
to the railroad books, has saved the farmers
of York county $1,000 since the lst day of
September last The whole tax on the coun-
ty, for interest on these bonds, is less than
$1,000 per annum, and at the same rate of
saving for twelve months, it will have been
more than twice repaid to them.
Each one who reads this, can calculate for
himself. 1t convinces me of the fact that
the building of new line of road through
the county has been source Of profit to ev.
ery farmer within its reach and for one, un-
til convinced to the contrary, however wrong
may consider the original principle, I shall
willingly pay my tax. If | were, to-day, left
to the choice of being relieved of my portion
of the tax, on condition that the road be torn
up-although not dependent on it solely for
INV convenience-I would say, ,unhesitatingly,
'let her stand; I would rather contribute
something annually to keep her going than to
get back under the old local freights again. Z"
As matter of common business sense, | be-
lieve the people of York will, upon examin-
alton, find the investment good one.
But, likely, some one will suggest that he
lives south of the G. G. & A. Road, and be-
ing out of reach of this line, my figures
won't apply to him. I say they do apply. If
the new road has offered lower freights, (and
it has done it, and continues to do IT'D does it
not compel all roads seeking business from
the same territory to reduce their freghts to
the same figures, or else do without business
A reduction at Yorkville forces reduction
at Rock Hill, and vice rersa; and so as to all
other contiguous points. My friend, living in
the Indian Land, has received compensating
benefit, no doubt, from the opening of this
competing line, althoug h he may never have