Jamestown alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1882, 1881-01-28
Railroad Legislation.
Yaniton Press and Dakotaian.

Railroad Legislation.
Yankton Press and Dakotaan.
Two years ago, while the thirteenth
Dakota legislature was IN session, there
came to the capital the representatives OF
two great rai.road corporations. who said
that il the representatives of the people
would give them liberal railroad law
their com ,anies would build extensively
in Dakota without any delay. The sub
jcct Was thoroughly considered by those
who were legislating..for the good OF the
people and out Of their deliberations
came an enactment which, during the
past two years, h.s.given to Dakota seven
hundredsmlles Of new railroad track, and
rs consequence those portions of the
territory which had never before pos
scssed IN actual white settler are now
populated and business csnters are spriBg-
ing up where solitude had so long reigned
supreme. Through the construction of
these new lines If traffic Dakota is fast
advancing towards wealth, power and
statci cod, men are becoming rich and
strong communities are gaining foot
hold where their. industry and thrift will
build no commonwealth whic!, will be-
come an Important constituent in the
union of states All these results are con-
cedeti to be Of the highest bcn. fit and it
will be wisdom for the representatives of
the people to keep in mind the cause OF
this almost unprecedented advancement
first, liberal RAILROAD law; second, the
construction Of railroads because Of the
existence of law which prohibits the
imposition of a burden upon their owners
during the period: :when there is sno re-
turn for the money invested.
There arc at present before the legisla-
ture now in session propositions for the
enactment Of laws which shall impose
local taxation upon the property of rail-
road corporations doing business or at
tempting 10 do business 10 Dakota
upon the statute hooks Of the territory,
it will prove death knell for all projects
for extension and will seriously impede
the development Of business along the
lines already constructed 1t is suscepti-
bic Of proof that none of the recently
constructed lines in Dakota are doing a
paying business. They were built with
the future in vlew-with the expectation
that they would bring people aud that
the people would by and by produce ar
ticles of commerce for shipment eastward.
Fulfilling this expectation they will be-
come the benefactors of Dakota, and it is
not becoming in our people to
smlte tue hand that feeds them: But for
the bright anticipatons OF the future and
the protection afforded by just law,
these railroad builders would not have
invested their millions in seven hundred
miles Of track lmost all of which has
been laid beyond the line of settlement
ef two years ago.
Is it good policy to pass the local tax
law and stop at once ths construction Of
the line up the Sioux Valley from Sioux
Falls to Watertown and thence to Fargo
and ultimately to Pembinas
Is it good policy to pass the local tax
law and thcreb! Cause an abandonment OF
plans for the construction Of one or two
r ads up the valley of the James from
i Yanktop to Jamestown, with projected
extension to the northern boundary of
Dakota? Sevtnt, five miles of one of
these lines are already graded.
Is it goo policy to pass the local tax !
law and call halt in the extension of the
tw" lines from the Missouri river to the |
Black Hills, across the great Sioux rws>
ervation-one from Pierre and the other |
fiom Chamberlain? These lines of tn em- |
selves would speedily open up to settle
ment and utilization A., 900 square miles
Of Dakota soil and compel our non pre-. |
ductive Indian inhabitants to pull down
the ar,er which to-day stands agaii s
the progress of civilization
Isl good policy to pass the local tax
law and deprive Lincoln, Clay and fank-
ton counties of the road which must ult,-
mately be built from Eden to 4anktons
Is it good policy to pass the local tax
law and thereby stlfe III their inception
all the plans for the construct on Of num-
erous branch lines certain to be built, un>
der 'avorable conditions, within the next |
four or five years, tn render our railroad
system complete and to give the various
t runk lines access to all localities from
which profitable business can be drawn |
This subjeat should be consid. red in its
broadest sense The good of the territa-
ry at large, and NO the temporary recom>
pense OF school districts. towns or coun- |
ties should he the aim of all our las |
makers. 1t is neither wise ncr prudent |
for our legislators to so legislate as 10 |
drive capita, and enterprise beyond our |
borders and thus circuinscribe the growth. |
development and prosperity of our terri !
tory. Our neighbors in the valleys of the
Sioux, the JAMES, the upper Missouri