The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-09
THE NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAIL
WAY.

veto IL to-day or Monday, We VIII not pre-
aume To discuss the constitutlonality Of thi
Bin with Gov. Nichols He is himself one O
the first constitutional lawyers in the State
and will determine that question himself. o
with the aid of other eminent legal gentlemen
amongst us There are however many fact
and figures, and many questions outside of TIL
Law to be considered in determining the merits
of this important act, which. III the msltiplcit,
of affairs and press of public business, the
Governor may not have found time to fully
examine. Some Of these we propose tc
present to his attention and to that of the
people at large.
Ii. MS we have previously stated. this bill
proposed to add even temporarily, to the bur
den Of taxation, we should oppose it, But it
Is clear to our mind that 1t will not do so.
IAdeed 1t seems TO us that it is bound to
largely increase the assessablc value Of the
property of the city and State, and to SO
greatly increase our trade that it will render
the weight of taxation much more endurable.
The road will extend from New Orleans to
Shreveport, through tho whole length of West
ern Louisiana comprising a large area of the
richest land In the Southwest These lands
are now, except in favored localities unsafe
able for anything like the prices far inferior
lands are worth on the line Of any railroad we
know Of. careful aud accurate estimate Of
the area OF the lands which lilo adjacent to
The route Of the New Orleans Pacific
shows the number of acres to be
four millions, varying In quality from the
richest alluvia to excellent upands It is
estimated that the completion of the road
will enhance the value of these lands five dol
lars per aero, increasing the value of the
whole area twenty millions of dollars. We
regard this az low estimate. The construc-
lion Of the Jackson road increased the value
Of the wretchedly poor lands through which
1t passed from twenty-five cents and fifty
cents per acre to five dollars and eight dollars
But the estimate has been made by cautious
and well-nformed gentlemen, and we accoptit
The influence of the road upon the property
OF the city will be even greater than upon
that OF the rural districts. Its construction.
at the lowest calculation, will Increase the
value Of city property twenty millions of dol
lars
The road itself. at u low estimate will be
worth five millions. Those who have opposed
1t claim that its value would be from eight to
ten millions It asks and will receive no
exemption from taxation, and will be assessed
ut certainly not less than five millions of dol
lars.
Now let us see from these estimates what
effect the road, If constructed, will have upon
the taxable property of the State and. conse
Quently, upon its revenues:
Increased value. 900 900 acres land, 50 per
acre. $40 GOO. 600, taxed at per cent. $500 900
Increased value OF city property $4,000
600, taxed per cent. ....,............ 900, 900
Value Of the railroad stock, etc. So ooo. 900
taxed at per cent =. .......-..,...... 10000
Total increase of revenue from increase
OF value Of property ,............ $i5o,00O
Thus the city and State would derive d.
rect revenue of at least S45oOOO per annum
from the completion of this road, which it is
asked to aid without mourning any risk In
addition to this, the people of this city
would, In the item of meat alone, be re-
lieved of burthensome indirect tax. The
cost Of transportation of cattle from
Texas would be greatly reduced by its con-
struction- reduced, in fact at least one cent
per pound; and as about $4,000 pounds Of
beef are sold per day in the city. the people
would be relieved of an indirect tax on that
article OF at least $4,000 per annum.
Ii our estimates are correct and we believe
they are entirely too low. the construction of
the New Orleans Pacific Railroad will increase
the revenues of the State S450O0O and relieve
5000 thus being worth to the pockets of
the people per annum S742,0Oo.
In this estimate we say nothing of the re-
duction in the cost of the transpor-
tation OF cotton. sugar, moasses, grain
and all the vast merchandise which will pass
over the road; nothing of the increase
OF our trade nothing Of the increase of
property through the growth OF the city, and
of the rural lands through new build
fngs and improvements. There may be
widely varying opinions about these
We give only facts and figures which i'm
press us as indsputable and as obvious to
every man who will examine the question
In another column we print u communica-
tion from Mr.. Archibald Mitchell, attacking
the bill we are discussing. Mr. Mitchell,
however, has fallen into some grave errors
The views of the distinguished economists
fkom whom he quotes are entirely correct
But they do not apply to such roads as the
New Orleans Pacific. Those gentlemen were
protesting against the railroad mania
which swept over England and subsequently
over the West prompting the construction of
multitudes of roads in every direction without
regard to the resources of the countries they
traversed or the tendency of the currents of
trade. Such roads are q positive burthen and
curse to any country; the capital invested
La them is absolutely lost to the community, |
and they would certainly tend to impoverish
any country. But Mr.. Mitchell is entirely in
error when he classes this road in their catego |
ry. The New Orleans Pacific, as we have pre-
viously shown. runs through rich and pro
auctive region, which only needs facilities for |