Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-16
A KICK ON THE RAILROADS.

In regard 10 the fnattcr OF Young
the credit of Sedgwick county to aid
in the construction Of three more in
dependent lines of railroads Into and
through the county, l think some Of
The advocates of the measures are at
tempting to deceive the farmers a. to
the benefits 10 be derived from the
building of these roads. For instance
1t is a mistake to tell the farmers that
the building Of these roads will add
sixty dollars per acre 10 the value OF
all the land in this county. am well
posted ia the prices Of all the farm
lands in this county situated south of
Wichita since the spring 1871. These
lands were only worth about ten dol
lars per acre until tho Frisco and the
Fort Scott railroads were completed to
Wichita. when they rapidly advanced
to thirty dollars per acre. Now l
think it safe TO say these three proposed
lines of railway will not add more to
the value o. lands than the coustruc-
ton of the two last named roads. 1t
is claimed that these roads when COM
pleted will add more TO the value of
lands than did the Frisco and Fort
Scott, because they are more impor-
tant roads than eitter the Fort Scott
or Frisco. While that may be true
it should be borne in mind that when
these roads were constructed there
was no competition in fleights, tue
Santa Fee having it all their own
way. There is limit TO this compe-
tition in railroad freights as well rs
the reduction of prices in all products
that are produced by labor. That is
the reason that | conclude that the
building of these three important lines
will not add more than tweaty dol
lars per acre To all the farm lands Of
Sedgwick county. The fact that rail-
rosd centers now make great cities,
while in times past the location Of
business centers were all determined
by the location of rivers and harbors,
makes the location ofthese trunk lines
of most Importance to cities and COM
munities. The people along the lines of
road sometimes imagine that by voting
aid they are getting the advantage of
the more remote localities because of
the greater increase of their property.
They do not seem to consider that if
their property is doubled in value
that they will have to pay an increased
share of the debt incurred to build
these roads. Suppose these three
proposed railroads are completed to
this city aud the expected boom comes,
what part of the taxes would be paid
by the city alone3 Mr.. Editor, can't
you, or some one else, give us some
figures on this subject?
FARMER DOoLITTLB.
What Farmer Doolittls says with
reference to the farmer and more
recent price of farm lands in Sedg-
wick county is strictly true. But adj
hitting that the three additional roads
will not add to exceed $40 per acre
to the value of ell the lands, is that
not satisfactory?
AS for the amount of the increased
liability of Wichita as city or what
greater proportion she will pay would
be hard TO determine. Wichita now
pays little upwards of half of the
taxes of the county. Next year, un-
der the late assessment, she will pay
considerable more than half. For an
idea of how the construction of thes Q
roads will add to the taxable property
and taxable liability of this city, we
will state that since the agitation of
these roads. within the past month,
over a million of money has been
brought in and invested in Wichita
property, and not only that, but sll
her really has nearly doubled in price.
-ED. EAGLE.