The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-05-11

But there yet remains great deal to-

But there yet remains q great deal to-
be accom- rlislned for the growth and de,-6
yelopment of the state, and in this
work the railroads, as in the present
and past, will be an important if not
the sole factor For this and other rea-
sons the, people of South Dakota are
notin favorof railroad rate regulation
and supervision by the federal govern
ment. as this would effectually prevent
the further development and growth in
population of South Dakota as we'll as
other western states which have large
areas Of government land yet subject
to entry.
The Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul
Railroad Company has just commenced
the work of extending a line of road
from the town Of Chamberlain, situat-
edson the Missouri river in the central
part of the state, toward the Black
Hills. This line when extended to the
Black Hills, will be the first railroad to
connect western and eastern South Da
kota. This is also the first railroad
line to be extended into the vast terri
tory EN- bracing an area of about 10000
900 acres of land which was ceded to
the government by the Sioux Indians
in 1889 and opened to homestead set
tIement on February 10, $780, During
the present year the new line of the G.
NJ. & ST. P. railroad company will ex-
tend about seventy or eighty miles to
the interior Of the ceded lands between
the Missouri river and the Black Hills.
Asln early days, u region which for
the most part is unoccupied is again
invaded by railroad, and, as was the
case in the vast territory east Of the
Missouri river, it is probable the same
liberal policy which settled eastern
South Dakota will be followed for the
purpose of inducing settlemenGof the
new region through which the new
railroad line is being extended. Set
tlemeut Of this and other parts ofSouth
Dakota, where there is room for thous-
ands of new settlers, would be stopped
completely should the government as
sumo control Of freight and passenger
rates ano fix an lnfieXible rate.
Residents Of South Dakota are begin,
nDg 10 understand the Importance Of
this question from the standpoint of
theinterests oftheir state. They real
ize that under government control re-
duced rates could not be given new set
tiers as an inducement for them to oc-
cupy the vacant government lands Of
South Dakota, and the result would be
hat the influx of new settlers, which which
is 50 necessary for the future develop
ment and prosperity of the state, would
cease and the development Of South
Dakota would be at standstill.
This is one Of the reasons why the
people Of South Dakota do not wish to
see Il change made in the existing order
Of things SO far as the control Of freight
and passenger rates is concerned, and
they will heartily sustain the South
Dakota delegation III congress in oppos-
ing any change.
Notwithstanding the good work done
by the railroads during the past twenty
years in advancing the material and
business interests of South Dakota
there yet remains a vast amount Of
work along the same line to be done.
In round numbers South Dakota yet
has about 10 900, 900 acres ofvacant gov
ernment land and this amount will be
added to from time to time as the sur
plus lands of Indian reservations are
ceded to the government and opened to
settlement.
Under the existing order of things
the railroad companies will be able to
continue as an important factor in hav-
idg the unoccupied lands of the state
settled upon and brought under cult
walton. But to accomplish this, it is
realized by the people of South Dakota,
the railroad companies must be free to
continue their present and past liberal
policy lin granting reduced rates to
| homeseekers. Unless they can do this
the development of the state will cease
and millions of acres Of rich land will
continue to be unoccupied and non
productive.
ALFRED BURKHoLDER.