The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-13
AGAINST THE KENT BILL.
Vice-pTesident Eddy Writes from
Taxpayers Standpoint.

Gently addressed to Hon. M. C. Thomas
by Vice-President Eddy, Of the Norfolk
and Western. 1t discusses the Kent
bill from tho standpoint of citizen
and taxpayer with admirable force OF
argument:
WASHINGTON, d. C., Jan. 90, 1892.
Hon. M. G. Thomas, House OF Delegates.
Richmond, Va.
DEAR SIR: Referring to your valued
favor of the 10th, in relation to nv an
pearing before tho committee on roads
and internal navigation in opposition to
the Kent oil, as | wired you this
morning, engagements in Baltimore
Saturday will prevent my appearing be-
fore the committee on that day, and tho
views now present are from tho stand
point OF citizen and taxpayer OF Vir-
GINA, and not as railroad official.
Yourself, as we'll as many members of
the senate and house. we'll know the
interest have taken for the past six
years in the agricultural development
OF our State as we'll as in it's develop
ment in mining and manufacturing.
We have within the borders Of our State
between ten and fifteen million acres of
land that has never been titled. two
thirds of which is capable OF cultivation
as soon as cleared-valuable agricul-
tural and grazing lands. There are
millions of acres Of land that has here
tofore been titled that have remained
idle since 1864, every acre of which is
capable Of producing remunerative
crops. The farmers of Virginia cannot
afford to force tho issue, as presented in
the Kent bill, in the presence of the
present great Industrial development
within our State
The prosperity OF tho farmers of Vir-
ginia is assured, and that, too, without
the need of any restrictive railroad log
islation. The homo markets of tho new
cities and towns in tho Valley and
Southwest Virginia, with the annual
increase in population of tho leading
cities east OF the Blue Ridge, are fur.
nishing tho best OF all markets for the
farmer-a home marlset-a market at
which he can dispose of everything that
is raised upon tho farm, from u hens
egg to trotting horse, without having
to deal with the middleman. You, as a
citizen Of Roanoke. know the adyan.
tages of this home market to tho farm
ers of Roanoke, Franklin and Craig
counties, through the building up of
Roanoke and Salem and the great in
crease in the non-producing population
OF those cities, as compared with tho
markets they had to seek ten years ago,
viz, the cities Of Virginia cast Of tho
Blue Ridge, or Washington and Balti-
more.
1.-THE same home market will come to
every farmer from the north end of the
Shenandoah Valley to the extreme
southern and southwestern end of the
State. Tho same home markets are
growing for tho farmers cast of the
dcrn 1.,, 81.
population Of every city and townin the
Piedmont and Underwater section, with
the additional advantage of having
short railroad hauls on their farm pro-
ducts to Washington, Baltimore, etc.
The farmers of the valleys should ap-
preciate the new markets that have boon
opened up to them in North and Sou til
Carolina and Georgia through tho con-
pletion OF the Roanoke and Southern
and the Lynchburg and Durham rail.
roads. They will find there the best
markets for their grain and hay. l
cannot believe that the intelligent, pro-
gressive farmers of Virginia ask for any
such legislation. If they will only con-
slider what tho completion of these two
lines of railroads will do for them in
the future they will not ask for any
legislation that will cripple in any way
ducing population of our State in all
our cities. mines and manufacturing
establishments, is increasing much
faster than the population of those on
gagged In agricultural pursuits, and all
for the farmers gain.
i am advised that the inquiries for
farm and grazing lands are very numer-
Gus, coming from every Northern and
Northwestern State, and the prospects
for desirable immigration of the class
OF farmers that we desire for our State
is moro promising now than over be-
fore. AS you are aware, the great
development in mining and manufac-
turing in Virginia within tho last ten
years has brought to us thousands upon
thousands of skilled mechanics of all
kinds, thereby increasing this non-pro-
ducing population, and increasing taxa.
bio values. This all rebounds to the
benefit OF the farmer, and | therefore
cannot bring myself to believe that tho
farmers of Virginia, those who ill
their ground and raise diversified crops,
favor any measure that would. in the
least degree, hinder tho continued
increase of manufacturing industries or
the continued development of Vir-
ginia's great mineral resources. The
future prosperity of Virginia, which
believe will depend in great degree
upon her mining and manufacturing
industries, should not in any way DO
threatened by any unwise legislation.
Compare the condition of our mining
and manufacturing industries today
with those of the Nav England States,
and States Of Pennsylvania and Ohio,
and see there the most prosperous far
mers Of all the States in the union; and
looking for the reasons that make
them prosperous, you will find it to be
tho homo markets furnished to tho