Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1897-09-24

before acting. Whenever there is n state
convention the prominent men of Bis |
marck are not slow in aceking to impress |
upon their ncighbors OF tiie lesa populous |
counties that "our interest stuye.identical,7 |
and seldom have they, either in republi |
can or democratic state conventions.
asked in vain for uid. And. when success
came. the politicians Of Bismarck have
usually been tue only ones that have
profited by it. so far rs political prefer |
ment is concerned: 1t would have done
no ham for tbeinsts have shown vi least
little court.sy TO tleir allies.
~.
As a. matter Of fact, the. Northern Pa
cifc company has been an incubus upon
the people Of the Missouri Slope. True,
had there been no railroad, there would
have been no settlement here. But on
the other hand. were there no settlers
here, there would be no business for the
railroad. The settlers ask nothing unfair.
Their only demand is that the feeling of
dependence be mutual They ask that
what is sauce for the goose be served
as sauce for the gander. They cannot
understand why the. Northern Pacific
should be let of with part payment of
taxes while from themselves the last
! penny is exacted.
| ...- -.,.-...-.s **x
What is 1t that to-day makes the north
ern half of this county sparsely settled
section, with half the population OF the
southern part? The railroad land grant,
and that alone. Under tho old pre.emp.
tion law, and under homestead commute.
tion at present, outside of the railroad
limit there was price Of $1.25 per acre
for government land, while within the
limit the price was 81 SO. Many Of the
settlers had children of age or nearly Of
age. They wanted aud needed more than
a quarter-section. and as matter of
course they settled outside of the grant.
They found the railroad holding its lands
at high fgures-so that they could not
afford to purchase, Thus the policy of
the company, as well as the land grant,
has been al enormous evil in Emmons
county. Through it's grant and by its
high prices it has prevented settlers from
obtaining landsln the north half of this
county-peo2le who would have made
homes, acquired personal property and
paid taxes. Instead of this. for years it
held lands, sold lands and leased lands
upon which it claimed that it had not
sufficient title 10 warrant it in paying
taxes. 1t has been dog in the manger.
1t would neither pay taxes nor dispose o1
its lands to immigrants who would pay
taxes. ee
Now, We capdidly ask the editor of the
Bismarck Tribune-if he has not yet re.
turned to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. he be-
lieves the settlers Of the Slope have had q
fair deal in their relations with the North
ern Pscitic3 The freight and passenger
rates are and have been exorbitant, based
as they are on stock wstered to more than
half dozen times above what our state
officials consider fair valuation pei
mile for purposes of taxation--a valuation
much less than is paid by the road in
other states. Only recently the company
has raised its rates on live stock. A
Logan county stockman informs US tha,
the increase is between $8 and SIS pei
car. The same stockman asked the
general freight agent why the raise had
been made, and was answered: 'Because
beef is up, and the farmers and stockmen
can stand it," The stockman referred to,
as we'll as his neighbors row drive their
cattle to Kuhn and ship over the $500"
~
The editor of the Record sincerely
wishes that all tax matters in dispute be.
tween the Northern Pacific and certain
counties along its lines could be fairly
settled. The road has q splendid train
service and accommodating and courteous
employees. During the writer's recen,
trip east he saw no passenger coaches
that compared ia nsish and comfort With
the n. P's. coaches. The general passenger
sgent has always been liked by the news.
paper men. We have nothing x say al
to our treatment by bis department. This
treatment, however. prevailed only a.
long ~ we kept quiet just - soon a
the Record criticised Bulldozer Fernsld,
the snnulment Of Mr.. Fees advertising
contract quickly came. But no PROPOSE.
4 tion has been made TO settle. the N. P: tax
4 in Emmons county. a state tax:commis-
sion was appointed. and to that scommfs:
q sion an offer Of 25 Der cent was made 10
this county. Later, an emissary of
Fsrnald was at Williamspert; and he in.
/ formed the board Of county commission
ers that his department thopght that !
valuation of 25 te SO cents per acre here;
after would be risht-abeli one eighth Of
lwhat the company ssks for its lands. If
the company wsuld pay us as high per.
centage as it paid 10 Burleigh and other
colnlies. and there could be an under
standing arrived at that hereafter taxes
wouldsbe paid by the N. p: on the same
basis as our settlers pay taxes, the Record
would say, Amen" But II should at
the same time be understood that