The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-02-11
TOWNSHIP BONDS.


The election on the question of voting
bords in Jackson township, this county,
TO aid in the construction OF the Kansas
City i Emporia railroad takes place on
the 18th inst. and as the time approaches
much interest Is manifested. Meetings
are being held almost every night in va
rious paris Of the township. We
are only interested as citizen OF
the county. and as such haYe ex-
pressed the opinion that the people
of that township would enhance
their interests by extending the
aid asked of them. From the In
formation before US, were we citizen Of
Jackson, we should support the propo-
sition.
This route wa the Marais des Cygnes |
valley to Kansas City has always been |
favorite one with us. 1t Is rendered !
more desirable now because at Ottawa |
there is connection with a direct st. |
Louis route via the Missouri Pacific.
We should consider the proposition
the more carefully because the town
ships along the line in Usage county
have already voted the aid asked
of them, and because there Is
every assurance that the road will
be built The necessities Of the country
demand its construction. II is objected,
oil the part OF the oppOsers of this prop
osition, that il is a Santa Fe scheme
an attempt Of that company to get con-
troll of another road. We are satisfied
that at present il is not Santa Fe
scheme-that efforts will be put forth to
get some other company to build the
road This we admit would he better
for Us. But suppose IL turns out, in
case the bonds are voted, that the
Santa Fe company shall build
and operate the road. Ii would then
have route from Emporia to Kansas
City twenty miles shorter than the pres
ent one, and the AIarIas des Cygnes
route would become the main line,
which would bring many advantages TO
the people of this county. We call the
attention of The people Of Jackson town.
ship to the fact that 1t
ton TO own twenty i've thousand dollars
of stock IN a railroad which is worth to-
day SI50 on the dollar. Even If 1t
were to remain but u branch of the San
"a Fee, the stock which the township
would own would be worth much more
than that of any other company which
would be likely to b1ild the road.
Among the opposers of this proposition
are some who would like TO receive the
franchises for another oganizatiOn. We
take il for granted that all will admit
that either the Santa Fe or Gould inter
ests must build the road, and to strip
the subject of all its probabilities, We
would as soon he IN the hands of the
first named as in those OF Gould.
will 1t pay, is the important question
to be considered. This the people must
largely determine for themselves. We
believe II will, because Jackson town.
ship has many natural advantages and
resources which the road would develop.
; There would be q large increase IN
property, in market facilities, and in in
telligent population. The taxable valu.
alton of the property of Jackson town
ship was, last year, $4S2, 800. Ten miles
of railroad added would make it, say
/. 100000 more. BY the increase in the
assessment the total, by the time
the interest on the bonds would
have to be paid, would certain
ly run up to $4,000. On this ba
5 sis three mills tax would pay the in
| terest on the bonds. The bonds beal
: seven per cent. as will be seen by refer
r ence to the advertisement. This is nj
+ frightful matter. The people of Thu
county, for over ten years previous Il
lasl year, had been paying eight mills o
C railroad taxi that is we believe il aver
: aged eight mills. At first IL wac higher
7. Now where is the man that to-day vii
say he would have done without railroad
% all this time for the sake Z
u saving that tax. What would Lyo
: county be to-day. as place OF residence
'' without railroads. Not one fourth I
L the people would remain here a ds
j. without railroads. In fact, withol
'c them, we never would have had H.
70 thousand inhabitants.
y We wish to remind the people
~ Jackson township of the fact, that it W
u their own action, or that of some
her citizens, that kept her fro
a. securing better results from the buildiI
in of the NJ. X. s. T. than were secure
" The managers of the road wanted to RI
It's where a majority of the people want'
er it. But the people said, as we undo
he stand some of them are saying now, '
a will get this road anyhow, and we W
he vote against the bonds The position
n the leading citizens was that Of hostili
TO to the best interests of the road. =
on consequence was that the road was II
.ly through the corner of the township
place of through the center al
to the town of NeoshO Rapids.
raj Reading ia the most natural outlet
Ire this road, and many who are interest
up in il want il TO go there. We have no
bic single doubt but that Reading townsh
ier would vote bonds, if a proposition We
ur submitted 10 build to that point. Osa
rs. City and Reading both want roads fro
ore Ottawa. The former fought the pl
'is- positions in Usage county. There
,ut other interests which do not want Il
ob road built via jackson township, ~
ng the people there will undoubtedly IL
to the road unless they improve the prese
. opportunity To secure IL.