, 1890-11-27
AFARMER ROAD
Col. Winston Evolves
q Great Scheme.
ACROSS THE STATE
It Would Cost About Twelve
Million Dollars.
THE STATE IS ASKED TO ASSIST
IL Would Own Controlling In
terost in the Enterprise
Tho Details.


of going Eelore the next Legislature
with proposition TO build with
state aid railroad from the wheat
belt to Puget sound, called on that
gentleman at his office In the Hyde
block to enquire If this rumor was
correct.
Mr.. Winston said:
"Somcthing must be done to re-
lieve the present unfortunate condi.
ton Of affairs. A means must be
provided whereby transportation
can be had for Our crops. There
must be railroad across the wheat
belt owned and operated by citizens
of Washington. 10 construct rail.
way from the Idaho line across the
wheat-belt TO Puget sound, with
branches tn Tacoma andISeattle, will
require n very large sum of money.
The best plan to raise this money
and build the road Is for the state of
Washington to subscribe for ma
jority of the stock. The road would
then be controlled by the people.
That beats u railroad commission"
HAS the state the power to sub
scribe for the stock?" asked the re-
porter.
Mr.. Winston replied: "Unless
there Is u provision in the constitu-
ton against 1t there Is no doubt that
the right exists. 1t has been done
time and again by different states.
The state of New York owns the
Erie canal and has made IL free.
The state of Maryland owns q ma
jority of the stock in the Baltimore
& Chesapeake canal. The state of
North Carolina owns u majority of
the stock in the Atlantic road, that
runs from Goldsboro to Ncwberne,
and did at one time own majority
of the stock of the Western North
Carolina railroad, running from
Greensboro to the Tennessee line, IA
distance of over 200 miles. If the
constitution is In the way we can
amend IT. am not pre-
pared to give positive opinion on
that point, but offhand L should say
there Is nothing In the constitution
that forbids the state from subscrib-
ing to the stock of the proposed
road. Section of article declares
that the credit of the state shall
not be given or loaned to any COM
pany or corporation.' do not re-
gard a subscription by the state to
stock In railroad as the giving or
loaning of it's credit. The state
buys so much stock for so much
money. There Is also another Sec
tlon of the constitution that relates
TO this question. Section requires
a proposition of this kind to be sub
mitted to n popular vote. This can
be done. l would cheerfully advo-
cate such n proposition. But there
Is still another provision in the con-
stitution bearing on this question,
which requires serious considera-
tion. 1t requires all debts contracted
by vote of the people to
be paid off in twenty years
and prohibits new loan for that |
purpose. In other words, ir this |
railroad were built and the state is-
sued bonds TO raise the money to sub
scriue for 50, 100000 of stock in 1t, |
the constitution requires the law |
authorizing this debt to provide |
ways and means, exclusive Of loans,
for its repayment within twenty |
years. We would have to pay the |
interest on S., 000, 900 every year, and |
create II sinking fund into which we |
would have 10 put $3.50, 900 yearly,
to meet the principal at the end of
twenty years. This would be very |
considerable tax and suggests the |
advisability ofa constitiOnal amend
ment."
"What do you think the probable |
result of such a subscription would |
lie In the long rune" asked the re.
porter.
"As general rule such invest
ments have not proved profitable to
the state making them, mean direct.
" profitable from u divldend-pay-
Ing standpoint. The directors of
such roads, ns in North Carolina,
for instance, are appointed by the
governor, and they in turn elect the
road officials. In this way the roads I
are more or less mixed up In politics
and the management changes with
every change In politics. However,
the road develops the country
through which it passes, thus en-
HANGING the value of taxable prop
erty, and the state, when il gets
tired Of its investment, can dispose
oft.
at is plain to my mind that the
farmers Of this section believe that
their products are refused transpor-
tation in order to force sale of
them to elevator companies, /. e.,
railway companies, at unfair rates.
Such belief, widespread and serious,
can not fail to produce very bad re-
suits, unless some speedy remedy Is
found. In my opinion the
only practicable remedy yet pro-
posed is to build an in
dependent line Of railway from the
wheat belt to Puget sound. | do
not believe sufficient capital can be
raised in Washington to do this,
without state aid. 1 am ia favor OF
such aid. 1t requires an amend.
nlent to the constitution before it
can he given. i favor that amend
ment.
II shall go before the legislature
this winter and ask that this propo-
,itlon OF state aid to the farmers
road be submitted TO the people. II
Is useless to raise crops or to dig lead
and silver and get nothing for them.
am an all-round protectionlst. If
b takes q tariff to protect lead /
I,yor 1t. If 1t takes state aid to
~. hn "a, |