The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-10-03
THE SUBSIDY TAX.
Read What Prominent Farmers
Think of the Graft.
Editor Tribune:

Think OF the Graft.
Editor Tribune:
| Upon the question of voting sub
sides in general, and especially the
| question of voting subsidy TO the
Logansport and Souta Bend Trac-
| ton railroad, which is before the
voters for their decision, Saturday
the 5th of October, | was pleased
| to read, in last weeks Tribune, the
strong able and incisive article by
the Hon. ID. Mcdonald am glad
to know it has appeared in another
of the city papers, because such ar
tticles at this time merit the widest
publicity that can be given them.
AS is always the case there are
voters who are not fully decided as
to what is the right thing for them
to do. Possibly some are influenced
by selfish motives to an extent. Man
| kiffu-is more or less selfish. 1t may
| be that some voters living near the
line where the proposed road will be
| located, if built at all, are looking
for a slight increase in the value oi
l,their farms if the road comes. That
| added value may be all imaginary.
Others, it may be. will think OF vot-
ing for the subsidy because OF the
| convenience it will afford them in
| getting away from home at times
without using their own conveyance
| But will this convenience compeH-
safe for the payment of one and one
| fourth percent on the valuation OF
their property to these promoters, il
| the subsidy is voted? | think it
would take the busy farmer a long
| time to get his money back in con-
venience.
But TO my mind, here is the para
mount influence with all voters. The
majority of the persons who would
be taxed live from one 10 six miles
from the line of the road. They can
| receive no benefit. 1t would be a
grievous wrong committed against
them if those adjoining the line OF
the road for any fancied benefit that
might come TO them, would vote to
fasten this burden upon those living
| farther away.
| And here | must quote from the
article of Mr.. Mcdonald. because II
can not lie improved upon.
| mo man has the right t. go to
| the polls and vote to tax his neigh
Dor against his will for something
or some purpose, that he does not
believe will be of any benefit to
him"
The promoters of the traction road
are running line of articles in the
Plymouth independent and Demo
crat telling the dear people it is 'te
their interest to vote this subsidy to
them and why. Some of the reasons
will not bear the light of day. Let
us turn the light upon few OF them
They say it would be simply loan
| on the part of the taxpayers, as II
will very soon be paid back in taxes
levied against the road after it was
completed" Let us devote mo-
ment to this phase of the question
The lire IN Center township wou'
be about six miles long. We will
rut the valuation of the road at eigh
thousand dollars per mile. That /:
undoubtedly more than it would ot
listed at as the Vandalia steam roa(
is onl li,trd at twelve thousand dol
lars per mile. The average tax lev,
for a number of years has been about
| one and one-fourth per cent. AT thl:
basis they would turn into the treas
| ury in taxes upon the six miles, sis
hundred dollars per annum And th'
fifty thousand handed over TO thea
would come back in taxes in up
wards of eighty years. That ism
very soon, is it?
| Again, they appeal to the smaller
taxpayers for their support by tell
ing them they would Save in rail
road fares the amouns OF their take:
in three or four months" The Van
kdalia. to which we gave subsidy
when il was built makes the same
towns that we can reach by the in
terurban line. Their fare is two cent:
per mile. The electric roads charge
one and one half to two cents. The
saving i'm fares would amount TO bur
|, little.
Il Thev tell us "vote for the subsidy
or you will get no road" That ma,
be bluff Most of the roads through
out the country. as far as 1 can learn
have been built without the aid OF ;
subsidy. We will get one or more
) before long anyway. If not, we car
WORRY along without them. We hav,
six lines running out of Plymouth
now. Fares are down two cent:
per mile.
: Most of us are sick and tired o
being asked for subsidies by every
| thing that wants TO come our way
Let us bury this subsidy question ST
: deep on the fifth of October it NIL
, never be resurrected here again. lie
the capitalists who will own the
road after it is built, and scoop II
the profits, furnish the funds t'
build it, with such assistance as ma,
be rendered them voluntarily.
: Better use our funds to build bet
: ter roads throuhgout the township
: We have now number of pits tina
afford fairly good gravel. The
amount of the proposed tax, or ;