Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-31
DAILY PoST-INTEluGENCER.
A VALrasLe q ssiDf.

Il IL said that Contract for the con-
struction Of twenty-five miles OF raii-
road from south prairie to Green River
has recently been made By the sor'I-
srn Pacific Railroad Company. u ~
furthermore asserted that the cost Oh
said twenty five mile section VIII De
fuily $4,000, or $4,000 per mile. For
building this section OF railroad
claimed TO be part of its branch nee
ovsr thu Cascade Mountains, bat really
an extension of local road to some
ooaI mines neither earned nor owned oS
1.-THE Northern Pacific demands .
subsidy of $500 acres of public lano
psr linear mile. or a total OF 6fo'"o
acres. This land 10 nearly u no'
ouite all marketable. IL embraces
agricultural. timber and coal lands, eE-
ceptionally valuable because OF access
bility. Within the +0-miie strip claimed
by this Company are to be found some
of the best agricultural valleys IN ZIG
Puget Sound Basin; some OF the ots'
timber in Northwestern Washington
and some of the most promising depos
its of Ignite and serni-bituminooS coal
on the Pacific Coast.
At the Government price OF s2SO pr
acre for agricultural and timber ianos
ths value of the grant claimed by tie
Company for constructing this u mile
section would be $4,000 per Diie' OF
total of SI.60O.OOO. an amount exceed
ing by 100000 its estimated COST
Bot the land claimed is worth far more
than e. 90 per acre. ALI the coai iALos
thereon are held by the Governments al
400 Der acre, and the Northern Paeinc
Ia today asking from IS to go per acre
for agricultural and timber lands not 30
we'll situated and valuable. An est-
mate of the average value OF the iahos
claimed ON account of this Is Julie sec
ton would not be too high at " per
acre, or 800, 600 per mile, nearly Zine
times the estimated cost of the project
cd rad.
Last year there we're constructed In
King county over thirty miles OF stand
ard gage railroad. Thetwo roads bailt,
run through rich agricultural valleys.
They we're quite expensive TO build. on
one of these even the right OF way mad
in several instances 70 be purchased OF
settlers. Not q foot Of land outside OF
that granted by the general Law 70 al
railroad interpretations was received oy
these. They were constructed without
public aid. They are as necessary to
the development of this portion OF
Washington Territory as the projected
section from South Prairie to Green
River. Why should the enterprise
which, unaided. builds railroads BE-
placed at such disadvantage Is there
any more Justice, any more reason, any
more necessity OF subsidy IN the ono
case than ia the other? II aid Is TO b
extended why should it DO given to ths
strong? The whole business OF con
tinuing this land grant TO powerful
corporation IL q monstrous outrage, mo-
alone upon the public whose heritaRe Il
surrendered without consideration. bu
upon other combinations or associationi
who are debarred from equal chances Ia
the business of railroad building. Ii II
too late in the day to subsidies raiiroas
DOM panies. Neither the necessities o.
the country nor the cost Of construction
demand or justify public aid. 1t is
monstsous perversion Of the origina
theory upon which land grants wer'
made. g., to aid in peopling an I'M
settled coustry-to gran, at this lats
dag in this populous section a snbsid,
worth in open market many timss thu
cost of projected railroad. II requires
phenomenal gall TO demand such sub
sidy. IL can never be obtained saw
through ignorance, Misrepresentation
bribery and fraud.