Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-04-26

"a cost on Jne TOdQ is SZ,OOO,OOU |
While at first glance this looks like a
generous gift, it would have never
been offered or accepted if the gov
eminent of Delaware had been in the
hands Of men not altogether ignorant
Of economic principles. But Mr.. du-
Pont is giving Delaware lesson in |
political economy as well as in road
building.
OF the 2OO-foot strip he is author
lied to acquire he viii use 30 feet as
a roadway for horse drawn vehicles
and 40 feet for automobiles: fhe other
1870 feet will be reserved by Mr.. du-
Pont to do with as he win. Some OF
the uses he will make OF it win be to
rent out different strips to trolley,
telephone, gas, water, oil and SINH
lar public service corporaitors. In
this way it is not only: possible for
him to recover the expense Of build
ing. but to make a profit besides.
However, there are other possibilities
OF gain In this gift" Mr.. dupont is
a very large land owner. His family
occupies the same position in Della
ware that the Astor family does in
New York. He can Lay out the road
so as to considerably increase the vsI
ue Of his holdings. 1t would be uajust
to blame him for doing so. Some one
is sure to get uneaTned increment
from this road. It is also sure that
the people OF the state cannot get it,
for some time at least. NIOnopOhstic
interests have fixed the constitution
OF the state and secuned decisions
from the courts to block any move
to give land values to those to whom
they rightfully belong, SO as long as
the rightful owners can not get the
uneaTned increment and decline TO
take any steps to change things so
that they can get 1t, it might as we'll
be in Mr.. duPont's pocket, as in the
pocket of any other individual
When Mr.. dupont first made this
offer, unthinking persons believed it
to be gift which only multi-mi-
lionaire could afford to bestow. 1t
is evident now that a man without a
dollar could do the same. Given the
same legal privilege that has been
given by the Legislature to Mr.. du-
Point, a penniless man would have no
trouble in securing all the financial
aid he would need from hard-hearted,
unsentimental capitalists with an eye
to nothing but profits.
What a pennilesS man could do the
state of Delaware could also do. The
state could have condemned the land
itself and paid all of the expenses out
OF the increased value the work
would give to the adjoining lands. 1t
might perhaps have been necessary
to first get rid of a constitution that
was framed by some relics of the
dark ages, and also of some judges
and legislators belonging to the same
period, but that would not be an i'm
possibility. The state could itself lay
and own all the trolley, telephone and
pipe lines, instead of farming out
such privileges, as Mr.. dupont intend
to private corporations. ~"
Of course Mr.. DUPONT deserves no
censure whatever for the lack of in
teligence displayed by the Delaware
Legislature which gave him this val
liable privilege. 1t is not improbable
that he himself believed that he was
about to engage in a work of philan-
thropy which would bring him no 9TH
er reward than the applause Of shall
low admirers. But he must. know
better by this time and so should the
people of Delaware.