The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1907-07-24
RAILROADS ALWAYS
BRING PROSPERITY
CITIES WITH EXTENSIVE RAIL
ROAD CONNECTIONS ARE
ALWAYS PROSPEROUS
AND LIVING EASY.
Property Holders Are Not Burdened
by the Bonds that Are Issued,
But Tax Rate is Lessened
by Valuation Increase.

Df tatudAtUn &ASIEsNt.
On the first OF August the citizens
of Columbus viii be given the priv
ilege of voting upon the issuance Of
bonds in the sum of fifty thousand
dollars, or as great a portion thereof
as may be necessary to secure right
of way into and through the city and
proper depot facilities for the Colum-
bus, Memphis & Pensacola Railroad,
and people who have the best inter-
ests of the city at heart are very
anxious to see the bonds voted They
know that railroads always carry
progress and prosperity in their wake
and feel convinced that an independ-
necessary to insure the future of Co
lumbus as a great commercial center.
Probably every man, woman and
child in Columbus would like to see
the city secure an additional railroad,
and the only opposition to the issu-
ance of the bonds comes from over
conservative property holders, who
claim that to meet the ainterest on
these bonds and eventually to pay OF
the principal that it will be necessary
for the City Council to raise the rate
of taxation, but this is not the case.
During the past twenty years the city
has issued bonds not only for rail-
roads, but for many municipal i'm
provements, but notwithstanding this
fact the tax rate has steadily de-
creased. In 1887 the tax levy was
eighteen mills, while at the present
time it is only ten mills, showing a
decrease of nearly one hundred per
cent. in twenty years. During these
twenty years the assessed valuation
has grown even more rapidly than
the rate of taxation has diminished.
In 1887 the total assessed valuation
was S1,784.490, while for the year
1907 it is $3,731, ,043, showing an,
increase of more than one hundred
per cent. during the last twenty
years. This shows that the railroads
have not been a burden, but that
on the other hand they have boosted
things up, and have caused property
to increase so rapidly in value that
the ad valorem tax has steadily de-
creased. s Ns. X Esg R4z~
The railroads have not only helped
10 reduce our taxes, but have render
ed substantial aid in increasing our
population. The Dispatch learns on
good authority that up to the time of
the building of the Southern Railroad
there We're only four railroad en-
ployes with families who lived in Co
iumbus. Now there are more than
four hundred men employed in the
different branches of the railway SER
vice who live here and who maintain
homes. Many of these men own the
houses in which they live, and prac-
-1cally all of them are good citizens.
They earn good wages and spend
money freely They help to maintain
our churches, schools and public in
'titutions of every character, and are
among the most desirable citizens
hat we have.
by reducing freight rates on coal
he railroads have saved the people
II this city hundreds of thousands Of
iollars. Before Columbus secured
lireet rail connection with the Ala
'ama coal fields our citizens were
ompelled to pay from seven to ten
Iollars per ton for coal, which now
osts from three to four dollars. and
hese railroads have opened up vast
orests which induced a number of
ardwood manufacturing enterprises
locate in our midst.
The building of the Columbus.
lemphis & Pensacola Railroad will
OF only open up the fertile Tombig-
ee valley and make Columbus the
asis for supplies and for the sale Of
S agricultural products, but will
i've us direct connection with two
'unk lines at Aberdeen. This will
i've us practically three competing
nes, and the. saving on freight in a
ngle year will amount to almost
nough to pay the entire bond issue.