Norwich bulletin., 1911-10-04
SECOND PART.

of their class, less scrupulous. more impatient visionary, or extrayagant, in their general management, as well as e<in carrying out special schemes, and developing necessary business fea- lures in local improvement and prog ress. Cleveland. Washington. Buffalo ard Newark, New Haven, Hartford, Providence and Springfield Green wich. LitchfieId, Orange, N. J.. and Southampton N Y. may illustrate places which sfairly retain and ensure their certain wonted poise Examina- tion may show that even they do not wholly maintain symmetry, rotundity and practical equilibrium; for what populous center in our land presents perfect model. in substance and ap
 rearance, for public and private use, fcfN residential and business purposes, with appropriate streets, parks, sui fcient number of suitable homes, churchss schools, markets, shops, stores, factories, outings-with the usual transportation facilities and complete paraphernalia as to water, fuel, light drainage and provision gainst fire, crime and poverty
 The modern, prevailing system, as mirrored and demonstrated by the metropolitan press. is, in a few in stances. democratic license run mad, and self government committing harl- kari The municipality of. New York Is a spendthrift banking on@an increas- ing debt now over five hundred mil lions apparently secured by a series of bonds and mortgages covering all the homes. and pledging all private es- tateS acquired and established during ns&ny thrifty generations. only such realty IS exempt and immune from ex- cessiNe assessment or taxation, Where 1t cannot serve the ulterior ends of officials contract strikers or spec ulators. Several large, apparently wealthy strong cities, fiuctuate con spicuously in vicinities, under retro grade process or undermining way, lit tie better than that of aggressive, inn practicable infatuated crusaders, the reckless plunder by Goths and Van Gals or marauding by desperate, dan gerOuS feuddliStS.
 Under the plea of progress, public utilities and city development, ire duent unnecessary commissions are created. partial indefinite licenses or permits are issued and extrayagant schemes of questionable improvement are openly urged and then effected by old plan men and lnercenary upstarts (usually hailing from foreign or rural regions1 which become at all service able to residents, sHburbanites or strangers only after their exploiters and promoters have enriched them selves and stand ready for fresh jobs at the expense, loss and lnconven- leHce OI an -un6SIlludteQ bOuS OI Llic settled wef1-to-do population, who contented1y thought that their hold i1.gs for homes and business were per- manentIy secured, and so protected as not to be legally interfered with, in vaded or destroyed. Thousands are forced from comfortable town homes by the excessive, unaccountab1e in roads of immensely concentrated trade and speculative, aggrandizing, dispro- portioned caraVdnSaries.
 The only plausible argument used in behalf of miscellaneous public appro- priations is the dubious, fallacious commonplaee 'The greatest good for the greatest number without inauir- ing or knowing what constitutes tine greatest good or pointing out who or where are the greater number to req D the assumed gain. What evidence is there that the expenditure of $500, ,000.- 600 on a canal at Panama is 3, timely, cemmensurately beneficial expenditure, considering the present distribution of the population and imperfectly devei- op interior portions of the United States To those knowing the istnn us over fifty years ago and the present wants of our nation the enterprise IS obscure, problematical, prema ture at best.
 The state of New York has biinJly legisIated an indebtedness of s1q0,-
 
 say who received the S11, 100000 there of already spent? Who will derive any benefit therefrom, after such work is cC Cmpleted? Politicians combine with a few engineers and contractors to spec u,ate with land owners at stations and terminals, and with farmers along the proposed route, eXpending public mon ies at exorbitant prices; and they, a few hundred boatmen, unproductlve nli6dlemen. and greedy operators hold ing back the abundant crops for higher prices. are the only ones whose pockets will be filled; whereas, there exist, already ample transportation facil1- ties-public and private-extending f, om the prairies, farms and lakes to the seaboard, for the distribution and cheapening of food products and mer- chandise, including over six great. popular railroad lines, built by private, individual enterprise. and proceeding hand il. hand with the development of the intermediate country. These roads are owned by the men, women and chilGfen of the United States aided by some little foreign capital, all the results of frugal savings The thCughtless demagogue, steel railroad car merchant, anxious shipper, single tax man and dea ahead statesman seem to be ignorant of the fact tha good accommodating railroads are both the forerunners and the results tlIe cause and eHecl-OE DuS1neSS pros perity for when all or any kind of labor is sufficiently productive and at ter ded with such skill by use, barter and trade S to create savings or capi- ta, the money profits may be wisely and profitably invested and employed iI, constructing the necessary means of better transportation for business and social intercourse; but that is no reason or justification for parties in terested in or representing any other kinds of business to permit ayaricious or lazy fools to attack and discriminate against the properties and labor in terests of their fellow citizens connect ed with railroads, and impair, plunder restrain or destroy these Indispensable facilities of the people and civilized agencies of the nation. Even a part of the press fails to do justice to rail- roads.
 officially announces that last years expenses exceeded it's receipts by $13,- 100000. Who authorized, engineered and applied those vague appropriations of that considerable sum? Why did not some one of the predecessors of the governor. or the governor himself, de- mand en explanation of the careless destruction by fire -only a few years ago of the substantial list New York regiment armory in East 34th street which caused the terrible loss of many lives one severe wintry night (when snow and ice were lying one foot deep lin streets). imperiling the neighbor hood and starting a great confiagration which was checked only by the fortu- nately open adjoining spaces, a fire