The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-31
KANSAS KALI ROADS.
Interesting Figures shown by the RepoSs
Of tho Railroad Commissioners.

ing extracts:
An inspection Of the railroads operated in this
State show that their condition has been well
main5aired and some have been considerably
improved. All the leading lines ere in fine
order ard are maintained IN the highest degree
Of efficiency.
Several of the lesser roads which were q few
years ago allowed tn get out Of repair have been
brought to q proper condition. especially the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas and the Central
branch. The roadbed of the Central branch
and the crossties are in excellent condition. but
considerable portion o; the rails need imne-
date replacement with new steel.
The work of additional railroad building has
bcon progressing with most remarkable celer-
ify in Kansas the past year. Up TO November
I. 1885. upward OF nine hundred and fifty miles
OF new road was built. The work Of trackiay-
ing will continue with unabatcd yigor until
winter suspcnds operations. We deem our
selves justified in the expression of the belief
that by the end Of the year fully one thousand
miles Of new roads will have been added to the
railroad milcgage of Kansas the present year.
The number of miles of new railroad built in
the United States the past year. up to Novem-
per I. was 5.439. Kansas leads all the other
States in respect to the construction OF new
mileage.
1t must be evident from the number of new
lines projected by responsible companies into
every portion OF Kansas. and the eagerness
manifested by those Companies to occupy terri
tory in the State, that the voting Of bond aid by
cities, counties and townships to aid in their
construction is rendered wholly unnecessary
Railroads will be built in Kansas in the future
as fast as they arc needed. and much faster
than the conditions existing will asiord 1aany
of them q reasonable support, without the vot-
ing of another bond. But SO long rs the law
remains upon the statute books permitting
cities counties and townships to vote bond aid
and thus burden themselves with taxation for q
long period in the future. it will continue TO be
done. 1t is the easiest thing in the world to
tempt vote of this kind by provoking local
riyalries over a projected but not definitely
located line. The argument that il you don't
vote the aid the road will run through an adcin-
ing township or city. instead of through the
particular locality whose aid is asked. is ire
sistible. IT is not to be expected that railroad
companies. whose intense rivalries lead them to
build upon the most economical scale. or with
the least expenditure of their own money, will
resist the temptation OF asking aid when it can
he SO easily obtained We think the people of
this State should DE relieved from any further
burdens of this character. In the past, most
serious mischiefs have grown out of the practice
Of voting this class Of aid. and though the law
is more guarded in its provisions to prevent the
practice of fraud than formerly. 1t will be inevi
table that thousands OF citizens will come to
find themselves taxed to support enterprises OF
more than doubtful utility. The only way to
protect the people is to repeal the law.
The extent to which the public is voting bur
dens upon itself to aid railroad enterprises is,
when summed M. quite startling. Up to 1854
there had been voted and issued by counties.
cities and townships in this State for this pur-
pose the aggregate sum OF S95Oi.SJ50 il. bonds.
A considerable portion of this bonded debt has
passed through the courts. wherein tie legality
in issue and Irrigated. The almost invariable
result has affirmed the binding nature OF these
obligations. Even a: the present time proceed
ir2s are pending before the United States Cir
cult Court for Kansas. having for thciy object
the coercion Of tax levies for the payment of de-
faultcd interest upon some Of them.
From information derived from answers ad-
dressed by this Office to the county clerks of the
din rent counties in the State. it appo ars that
since July 1. 1885. to November I, 1886. there
has been voted by counties. cities and townShips
{ lc aggregate sum OF SI0.15i,Go0
This is being continually increased by fresh
bond voting. Add TO this the vast a"eneratc Of
debt incurred for school houses. court houses,
bridges, Taterwo:ils, etc. and it will lie seen
that the people OF the State are assuming a bur
den too great to be borne.
TIE GULF, COLORADO & SANTA FE.
Concerning The purchase Of the above road the
report contains the following:
The fact Is noted in another part Of this re-
port that the Atchison Topeka Il Santa Fc
Railroad Company has acquired, by exchange of
the stock OF that company to the amount OF
s i,5S2.0o0 for the same amount of the capital
stock of ;ile Gull Colorado s. Santa Fe. the
ownership Of the last named road The cN-
change referred to absorbed all but merely
nominal amount of the capital stock o! the last
named road. The number Of miles OF road eLl-
braccd in the purchase is $50. The completed
lines extend from Galveston to Fort Worth
Since its acquisition by the Atchison COM
pany the road HIS been extended north from
Fort Worth. nj this writing upward of sixty
miles. and Il Inc is being pushed through the In
dian Territory, south from arkansas City, Kan,
to meet the line being b,iiit from Fort Worth.
We regard this rs most important acquisi-
ton. both for the future OF the Atchison system
and as affecting the trade and commerce OF
Kansas. Texas comprises Il vast territory.
large portions of which are well adapted to the |
growth OF cotton. Already the production of
this staple has become leading feature in |
Texas agriculture. The conditions that prevail, |
viz, cheap lands, a favorable climate ard the |
low price OF cereals, combine to render this the |
most profitable product in the State. On the |
other hand. Kansas is better adapted to the |
growth Of wheat and corn. Already q large and |
increasing demand from Texas for |
Kansas wheat and -four and corn has sprung up. |
li!e Huh' ooiorauo SA &c .r"'erses .ne
COTTON regions Oh tna' otatc anu inc connection
oet"eeh .nat anu inc !Atehisoh sys'eii III Mar. |
sas VIII Glse reauS aho ehcsp access 10 VAST
region which will create an ever-increasing de- |
manu ior leaoihs h"nsas prouuc's.
What Kansas needs Is . market for her flour |
',% 800 %" ,ore;Cn dsmand W. consSsn,,v
c.nect that the building Of a system of railroads
between Texts and Kansas will solve that
problem:
In addition 70 'ne ABOVE, sr.e.es d incOrpoia