Arizona silver belt., 1893-02-04
EXEMPTION AND RIGnF OS WAY TO
 RAILROADS.


 good deal of attention from the people of tho Gila valley, in Graham county, and from the meagre advices at hand the sentiment on exemptiRg the rail road from taxation and pursuing li- beral policy in granting right of way, is divided. There appears to be more eertsation over the latter question, however, as the railroad if built would intsrssct valuable farming lands, inter- fsre with their irrigation and perhaps for the time being lessen their value, and settlers naturally demand far re- munsration.
 The Graham County Bulletin devotes considerable space to discussion of ths proposed railroad, counsels liberal ity on the part of the people toward the corporation and recounts some of the advantages which would accrue from the building of the road ''That the building of the proposed railroad from Bowie tO Globe over the sur Seysd line, says the Bulletin, "would be the cause of making the Graham valley second to none in Arizona. It unqGestioRably would bring to this county the capital necessary to develop our vast agricultural and mineral wealth. It would bring men with means to take out large canals to re- claim thousands of acres of the best lands in the Territory, which would immediately be takea up and dcohvorted into golden fields of grain and pastures of alfalfa. These are reasons why our people should be liberal in the matter Elsewhere in the same issue the Bulle- tin says If the people of Graham county desire a railroad through it to Fort Thomas and Globe ct an early day they must be liberal in giving to the company which builds it the free right of way through the Graham valley. Men who are now talking about making the railroad pay heavy damages should carefully consider ali the advantages and conveniences it's coming will bring to them and the whole county. Rail road companies, like other people, de- sire to get the best returns for their in- yestments possible and we do not think the Bowie and Globe company is un- reasonable in asking the free right of way from Solomonville to Thomas Lands in the Graham valley will be increased in value, if the Bowie road comes this way, from ene-third to half its present worth, and there can only be few isolated cases where any man will be actually injured by the road passing through his land
 The Bulletin expresses the opinion that the people of the Gila valley would be willing to concede five years 0xsmp- ton from taxation to the new road This, however, is so short a period, as to offer little iaducement to a company several million dollars in
 and equipment, and the
 saved to the railroad com
 ing the five years on its en-
 inc would not pay one years in- est, st r-- cent, on the capital in sted. The consensus of opinion in lobe is that ten years would be req sohable exemption.
 Thoss who oppose such encourage msnt to the construction of railroads on the grounds that railroad corpora ton is better able to pay taxes than they, fail to appreciate the fact that a railroad would bring prosperity to the section through which t would pass, enhance the value of real property, and thereby reduce the rate of taxation, in which benefit every taxpayer would share.
 The building of railroad through new country is at best hazardous undertaking, and capitalists can not be expected to engage in it without req sonable expectation of receiving fai1 return on their investment. Under favorable conditions the success of such an enterprise is problematicaL Time must slapse for the increase of popula. ton, the development of tho natural resources of ihs country tributary tc the line and the growth of general business before a paying traffic can be expected Therefore, for several year, at least, the road would be of far more benefit to tbepeople of the country con. tiguous 60 t than to the owners and il is not unreasonable that some conees sion should bs granted them. Tho property owners and business men oI Globe, who pay a very large propor. iiun of the taxes collected in Gila coun. ty are fayorably disposed toward the railroad projected from Bowie, and have pstitioned our representatives ir the legislature to support bin exempt ing Asw railroads from taxation for c reasonable period.
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 A seemingly improbable statement that Prssident-elect Cleveland is most anxious for the free coinage of silver has been given wings oyer the wires