Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-10-06
.Arnrnre encL tnNn.LIr.

Excluding from the above total area three-fifths of Dakota, including its en- tire western half and its more northern
 portions, aud also the entire northern halves of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and
 We have an area of territory containing < 2i2OO0 square miles of land, traverscu
 by 2l ,j0J miles of railway, or an average of 3.2O miles of railway to each town ship. Of thIs vast fertile scope Of coun- try, for the most part prairie, of like general conformation and soil qualities, agricultural and other natural resources, substantially equal Tn importance and value may be predicted, requiring for their full development an approximately
 uniform extent throughout of railway | service. It will be seen that this great
 region, considered as a whole, still lacks
 an average of two mles of railway to the township of the transportation Rd-
 vRntages at present enjoyed by the peO- l pie of Illinois, who now have fraction ticn over five miles of railway to each l township.
 When 1t is considered that Tn the early future Illinois, Iowa, the southern and central parts of Wisconsin and Min nesota, and p lrtlons of Dakota, will re- quire au average of three or four miles more of railway to the township than | the existing average, it IS a safe as- sumption that within the next twenty or twenty-five years progress and de- velOpment. pTOportioned to that of the ] last eighteen years, will call for the con struction Of 25,00O additional miles of railway through the region described. 1 This assumption Is strengthened by the ! fact that the cost of construction and operation isnOw considerably less than in the past, and Is still being diminished. The demand for railways correspond ingly increases. Already DO live neigh- borhood or growing village ID the great 1 West is long content to be without
 railroad at it's doors.
 Let, then, the assumption stand that
 within the quarter of century, expand ing development will require to be con- structed 2j,000 miles of railway through out the terrItOry covered by Illinois, Iowa, and parts of Wisconsin, Minne- sota and Dakota, in addition to the
 mileage now operated therein. This 2j,CuJ miles of railroad will cost to 1 build and equip, at the rate of S35,0OO to the mile, fixed investment of capital to the sum of SS75.0Ou,OOO. Capital in railways is not convertible to other
 uses. Thus employed, It IS forever de-
 voted to one sole use, its preservation forever depending on the self-mRinteu- ance of the line, and its profits on the power of the line to earn fair rate of interest.
 Is it not an inquiry of immediate and very grave import to the people who in-
 habit the states designated by what agency the transportation systsm neces- sary tO continuing devt lOpment and progress shall be built upOn and com pleted: That government may build, own and operate the railroads Is out of the question. Our free political InstItu- tiOns could not withstand the straln of such colossal patronage m the hands of
 men who make partisan politics their
 profession. Besides, all material inter ests would be injuuously affected by in- efficiency and eXtrRvagance of manage ment and operation by government ap- pointees and employees.
 When tae country Is thus dependent on the great railway corporations for tightening the burden of transportation to the minimum of cost, for larger and more perfect service in older communi- ties, and for opening mp new territory, 1t IS apparent that the spirit of the peO-
 llt IS lU utdl Nlku AAttAA rbAutlAbN hN public enemies. This is a great evil, and in the nature of things, an altogeth- CT unn .cessary and false situation. On this point Judge Cooley, addressing
 himself to considerations Of public in- terests, foroibly remarks: "The railroad ought to be considered, and ought to be
 made the convenient and accommodate ins servant of the public. existing to do its will; but the public will that is Co be served ought to be a just and and reasonable will, and should demand nothing which the owners Ot railroad lnes had no reason to anticipate when they invested their money in this species of property, and which they can not, therefore, be said to have bargaiued for" And again: "To deny the rail- roads reasonable compensation to ham, per them by needless and veXatious leg islatiOn, to load them down vi h unrea- sonable burdens, will appear as impolitic from the standpoint Of public interest as 1t would be for aD employer to put his servant on short allowance, or to compel hIm to carry weight at his la bor."