Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1915 — CIRCULATE PETITION FOR SUBSIDY ELECTIONS [ARTICLE]

CIRCULATE PETITION FOR SUBSIDY ELECTIONS

Attorney W. H. Parkinson Secures Names of Progressive Merchants and Property Owners. 0. L. Brown, the promoter, and H. E. Shellhouse, the chief engineer for the Lafayette and Northwestern Railroad Co., came from Lafayette Tuesday morning and took up the matter of having petitions circulated in Marion and Newton townships for subsidy elections and the petitions will be presented to the county commissioners when they convene next Monday. Attorney W.. H. Parkinson circulated the petition in this city and it was signed by the leading businessmen, including Mayor Spitler. In Newton .township O. C. Halstead is circulating the petition and it is believed that it will meet general favor and that the commissioners will order the elections in both townships at the same time. The laws of the 1915 general assembly are not yet in effect and the Babcock-Wood measure to prevent people from voting a subsidy if they choose to dp so, by establishing conditions that are impossible in many communities, is not yet operative. Under the present law only 25 resident freeholders are required to sign a petition and they are not frightened .out by being required to give a bond for being boosters. It is the intention, however, of Mr. Brown, of the company asking the subsidy, to put up a bond to cover the cost of the elections. Petitions have also been filed in White county for elections in Round Grove, West Point and Princeton townships, and elections will be held in Jackson and Beaver townships in Newton county on April 24th, thus making a complete chain from West Lafayette to the Illinois line, except through townships where the road passes through only a comer. Mr. Brown has done something that was never done before by a promoter, that is to prepare for filing with the petition a profile showing the exact location of the road through the townships where the elections are petitioned for, so as to leave no doubt about the route to be taken by the road. If all or substantially all of the elections should be favorable, Mr. Brown feels certain that he can finance the road and he has had many encouraging reports from those who are looking after that end. The road is to run through Marion township in a way to give about the greatest extent of mileage possible and the great possibilities to this city and the surrounding towns ancT the county are quite sure to again recommend the subsidy to the favorable consideration of our people. If the subsidy is voted and the road never built, then the townships will not be placed to a single copper of expense. If the road is built, the tax will be collected and paid over to the railroad company and the hope we have entertained for so many years will be realized. Be a booster and help this progressive movement. Help to make grow.