Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1900 — COMMUNICATED. [ARTICLE]

COMMUNICATED.

A Few Thoughts. At the railroad meeting on Friday night of last week Frank Foltz, in a speech favoring the voting of the railroad tax, referred to the building of the court house; said that “we built it during a period of hard times and financial depression and were now paying for it while times were good.” In the latter statement Mr. Foltz was mistaken. “We are not paying for it” now nor will a dollar of the bonds become due for three years yet. The court house bond issues were as follows: First issue, $82,500 issued July 1. 1896; $32,500 due July 1, 1921, $50,000 due July 1. 1926. Second issue, $40,000 issued July 1, 1897; SIO,OOO due July 1.1907, $15,000 due July 1. 1027. $15,000 due July 1. 1932. Third issue. $30,000, issued Jan. 1, 1898; SIO,OOO due Jan. 1, 1903, $5,000 due Jan. 1, 1905, $15,000 due 1920. We are now paying only the interest on these bonds. Mr. Foltz also said that if the people would vote this tax they could rest assured that it would be expended only in case Mr. Gifford complied with his part of the agreement; that the Statutes of Indiana placed safe-guards around special funds of this character and it could only be paid out by the commissioners according to law. We believe the Indiana Statutes also placed safe-guards around the Keener township gravel road funds, yet the funds were paid out contrary to law and the road has not been built. Mr. Foltz was followed by W. B. Austin who also referred to the building of the new count house and said that at that time we all had money, times were good and there wasn't a vacant house in Rensselaer, while uow— Well, we would suggest to Messrs. Foltz and Austin that they get together and confer to see where they are at. Spectator.

Retrospective. Before the people of Remington and Carpenter tp.. vote to give some corporation $20,000 to $30,000 to run n cross-road through our township we would like for them to carefully consider the following facts: Our neighboring town of Goodland has practically three railroads —the Panhandle running east and west, the C. & E. I. north west to Momence and Chicago and south to Brazil, and the LaCrcsse division of the same road running northeast through northern Jasper up into Michigan. Not a business house in Goodland is doing the business it did fifteen years ago, generally speaking, while the grain trade of the town is not one-third that of fifteen years ago. The improvement of the country about Goodland lias naturally benefitted the town to considerable extent and it lias grown up with the country. Ten years ago, Remington, with but one railroad and if anything a poorer country surrounding it than Goodland, had a population of fifty-one more than Goodland, and notwithstanding that tlie latter in the last- decade has extended her corporation limits so ns to tnke in a number of people, the present census will show that Remiugton still leads. To-day, we are told, Goodland has fifteen to twenty empty houses Remington hasn’t a one. Rents and town property here is as high and meets with ns ready a sale as at Goodland. But, we arp told, a cross-road will enhance the value of every acre of land about Remington from five dollars to ten dollars per acre! Is that so? Well, with no

better land's or improvements than those surrounding Goodland, the value of the latter is not enhanced one penny by reason of her three roads, and farm lands hereabouts have been sold recently a* as high a figure as any ever sold about Goodland. But we’ll get more for our grain if we get a cross-road! Foolish thought. Remington is one of the very best grain markets in the state, and the dealers always pay exactly the same prices that are paid at Wolcott, Goodland, Kentland, Sheldon, Raub, Earl Park, Fowler, Lochiel, Wadena, Foresman, Brook, Morocco, Mt. Ayr, Rensselaer, or other points in northwestern Indiana, notwithstanding she has but the one railroad. Goodland has electric lights and Remington has waterworks. Both towns have about the same number of miles of cement walks, tie odds favoring Remington if anything. Remington has better gravel roads leading out in four directions from the town, than h: s Goodland. Our tax levies are about the same. Our handsome school building is owned entire by Remington while Goodland’s is only half her’s, the township having an equal interest with tba town. Our indebtedness is probably about the same as Goodland, perhaps a trifle less, as Goodland is just issuing $(>,000 in bonds to pay off current and outstanding indebtedness. Wo have about as many improvements and enjoy about as much luxury as our more railroad favored neighbor on the west, therefore there is great deal of bunconib in all this jabber about a cross-rond "making a town.” If a cross-road is all that the advocates of voting a subsidy claim for it, the conditions of Goodland and Remington should be reversed, for Goodland with three roads —and the coal road a better line than the Gifford road could ever hope to be—should be far in advance of Remington in every way. But she is not. The writer is willing to admit that a few advantages might be gsined from a good cross railroad. 1 but, on the other hand, many of the advantages Remington now has over neighboring towns ns a 1 grain and trade center, advantages which have kept our laborers employed. and tenant houses occupied. built up and given our town a healthy growth, would be gain forever. The writer has the interests of Remington and Carpenter tp., at heart in this matter, and we would ask every taxpayer, or non-taxpay-er. for that matter, to carefully consider the advantages or disadvantages a cross-road would be to ns before voting a railroad subsidy to any corporation. If Mr. Gifford or any corporation desires to build a cross-road and will pay the expenses, well and good, but we do not think we ought to give financial aid to something that will act as a boomerang to us. Remington.