The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-03-02
Don't Confuse EN-

Don't CONFUSE KIM
The sewage tax, which is rather
burdensome in localities and instan
ces perhaps unjust, has created much
discussion among the citizens, AND
there appears to be confusion wher
the railroad bond election is men.
toned.
The sewage system is necessity
.sfor the general health of the city. Its
cost was considerable money, and the
funds invested is not realized only as
measured by the health-giving, the
prevention Of disease, and disposing
of the waste, but the cost is a dead
! weight in that 1t will not make re-
turn of money expended except as
stated.
But with the railroad business, the
bonds voted for its aid is only tenn
porary loan Of means. The railroad
besides being a convenience to the
community, it pays its own keep, and
helps to maintain the-community by
paying regularly into the county
treasury taxes year after year.
The deeper one goes into the prop
osition to build north and south
road thru Liberal, the better it looks
Still there seems to be few people
who are more inclined to be guided
by i'll founded prejudices than by mat
tiers of fact. We believe IL all will
weigh the matter carefully there will
not be vote against the proposition
when the votes are counted next Tues
day night.
In the development of a territory
transportation facilities are an abso-
lutte necessity. Most of the people
OF Seward county are familiar with
the counties surrounding us, and
know that the building of the new
line of road from Dodge City south
west has worked wonders in the de-
velopment of, that section. The ter
ritory is settling at wonderful rate,
and the counties that, because of
their sparse settlement would only
support one little trading point now
have many good little towns and one
or more important towns.
Seward county has been exceeding
ly fortunate in the matter of settle
ment. 1t is doubtful If there is a
county in the state with but one rail-
road that is as well settled but this
is because of the great effort and ex-
tensive advertising that has been CIV
en- the town. And again there are few
towns in the country with but one
line of road that has made the adj
vancement that Liberal has. The
principal reason for this is the geo.
graphical location of the town, and
the scarcity of transportation facili.
ties, which allowed it to control a
great trade territory. The building
of the d. G. & C. v. road cut off a
portion of this territory. The For
gan road cut off some more, but as
yet 1t has not hurt the town, for the
reason that the increase in popula-
tion in our natural trade territory has
made up for the loss. However IL
will pot ever be thus. The time has
come to go forward and fortify our
selves against the future in the mat
ter of territory.
This is not a. matter that concerns
the town alone. Every citizen of the
county is vitality interested in the
future of the town of Liberal, for II
is the town that makes the county.
The town must set the pace for all
public improvements. Intelligent,
progressive farmers are necessary to
a well developed community. They
are important factors in every line of
public endeavor, but you seldom find
this class of farmers surrounding a
small, dead town. They want to To-
cate where they will have the advant-
ages that make life worth living,
where the wheels of progress are ever
turning, where good roads and good
schools and social advantages for
their families are within reach. This
in measure accounts for the high
class citizenship Of our adjacent
farming community.
Somewhere in Southwest Kansas
there is going to be builded city,