Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-09-01

BONDING PROPORTIONS. /
The principle Of communities Civ
ing public aid for such improvements
Or enterprises as will add to the gem
eral development and prosperity is 50
we'll established in all the countries
that its wisdom is not questioned.
Nations, states, counties, cities and
towns all employ that method Of adj
and the system is one which
meets the approval of the best-gov-
erned and most cautious communities.
The nation gave bonuses to the
great railroads, and resulted in devel:
oping the Western country more ra-
pidly than a similar tract of country
was ever before peopled and civilized,
adding millions to the population
of the nation and immense sums to
its wealth. Each congress appropri-
ates immense sums for the purpose Of
improving rivers and harbors, that
the people may have better. transport
tation facilities for their products.
States have repeatedly given assis-
lance to railroads that would hasten
settlement and cheaper transportation
rates. There is scarcely a county in
Minnesota that has not seen the wis.,
dom of giving the necessary aid to
improve it's railroad facilities, and
also experienced the prosperity thst
followed. The latest examples are
Crow Wing and St. Louis counties.
Crow Wing county voted 100000
for a railroad that made an immense
timber country tributary, and caused
the erection of a saw mill that en-
ploys hundreds of men. The plan
has resulted in more benefits than the
most enthusiastic expected, and the
people effected now universally en-
dorse it. St. Louis county voted
$4,000 bonds for a railroad that ex-
tends into ne y mining country, and
develops many industries. This i'm
mense bonus was almost unanimously
given, and the few opponents of il
now approve it. Cities of all sizes
practice the policy of donating public
aid to enterprises that merit such
help. The most prosperous cities are
those that have been most literal and
public spirited in this matter.
This policy is so universally &C.
copied as sound that the only
question necessary to be considered in
relation to a plan to offer public aid
is the one of benefits to be received.
If the benefits are great enough. the
aid should be given. The PROPOSE
tons which will soon come before the
people of Morrison county and the
different towns and cities will be such
as deserve public support. The
county and minor divisions now owe
bonds to the amount of 100000 td
the Water Power company, and the
owners of these bonds will relinquish
them for cancellation upon the issu.
ing Of the 100000 railroad bonds.
The new plan will not allow Of the
same distribution Of the Indebtedness
as formerly, and in some cases the
taxable valuation will not allow as
heavy a debt under the general laws
as was afforded by special laws
Under the general laws allowing vot
ing railroad bonds the total debt o.
a county or city or town must not ex
coed 5 per cent of the taxable valua.
ton. Therefore the city Of Little
Falls, Belle Prairie, Little Falls and
Pike Creek towns cannot vote al
much railroad bonds as they have Wa
ter Power bonds. The reductions ir
these four communities must be from
the present debt of$75, 900 to $33, 500
leaving 1900 to be made up il
some other way. The county will be
asked to increase its amount from
$4,000 to $4,000, thus providing
for $4,000 of the deficit, and th4
towns Of Swan River, Elm Dale anG
Two Rivers Ctraversed by the new
road) will be *ked to supply the bal
ance Of $4,000. The county and al
these towns can do SO without reaching
the 5 per cent limit. Little Falls
town aud city, Pike Creek and Belle
Prairie will unquestionably endorse
1.-The plan, and it is not probable thai
either Of the three towns along the
proposed route will hesitate to i'm
prove the opportunity they have sc
long awaited. In the matter O. count,
bonds certain localities are expected
to violently oppose the matter, as the
general good to the county ia not a
important to them as the preservation
Of their commercial supremacy .ove1
the territory that would gain railroad
facilities by the new line. We dc
not believe that the opposition car
be strong enough to defeat the meas
ure, but 1t will certainly make a deter