Farmers, Read This!

'i ll.-xlov Luitdsr. Mu. Editor - Withio the next two weeks tlie lectors of tbe towHfhips of Kcio and Webster will ote on the question of erantrug a loan to tbc "Toledo, Ann Arbor & Npitkern Railroad Coinpany, und I ask the u-e of your columus to havo a fair talk with thosc inoPt deeply interusk-d n tho project, to-wit, llu fannors, and to present to them soine figures í'or thcir careful cousidcratiou ; as the old ïuaxiui tha-t "figures wen't lie,': stil! holds good. It cei tainly does not requirc any extended argument to conviuco any fanc man that ootnpetiiioo in business - no matter in wbat iinc - cheapens tho price of tho artioluj dealt in. And railrosd freights form no exception to this wellestablished rule, as is ubunÖautly proved by tho lowor froighis paid on property shipped and reeeived at every railroad cooter iu the lund, as compared with those stations whcre there is but one roaJ. As nstance Jackson, wbero wlicat, flour and all otlier freights rvro oarried either to Detroit or Toledo cheapor tban from Ypsilanti to Detroit ! The same may be said of Kalamszoo and all other points and markets whure tlieru are coitipeting linos of railroad. Thcn I would refer to the freights on flour last fa'.l by ail from Obicago to New York or Boston, which eau bo fouad by reference to the files of your papers. You will düoover that it cost only 84 cen's per barrel for flour from Chioago, 240 miles west oí us, lo New York or Boston, while the shippers at Dexter bad to pay S1.1-,1;. lloro is a difference of 28; cents iu favor ot' Chioago over lXx er, rtlthough 240 miles furthcr from market. It is hardíy noerssary to say that competition bas made tbe difforence. Again, all merchandise from New York is dölivered at Jackson at preeisely tha saine ratos thut t is delivered in Detroit and had w.o tho Toledo rcad we would havo all the advautagea in this rcsp:ct tbat Jackson now possoesss, acd save the entire amount now pnid from Datroit to Dexter. It need hardly be told that the consumer has to pay these extra freighta. Again, our lumber, slt aud piaster would reach the consumers burthened with less than half tho freights that now niake üp so large a proporuon of their cost. Oco of the most intelligent farmers of Scio who has been carei'ully estimating the quantity of lumber fur building aad fencintr used by the farmers of Scio eaoh year, and the reduetion of price by the cheapening of freights, by the building of thia contemplated railroad running up to the vast pine woods at the north - told me yester1 ■')' that tho savinsr wonld be at least ïwo Tliousand Dollars a year. Another iutelligent farmer aidod ree in cstimating the following as the advautages to Bcorue to the farmiog interests ol either of the townehips nanied : No. of acres of land in a township, 23,040 16! acres of every 100 acres sown to wbeat eacli jear, 3,840 acres at 16 bushels per acre, gives a total of 61,440 bu Deduct for seed % bushels per acre, 5,700 bu. Deduct for bread for 800 inhabitauts of all ages engagecl iu agriculture, 4 ba. each 3,200 bu. Total for seed and bread, 8,060 bu. Leaviníf for market, 52,420 bu. Cwnpetitiou of freights adds 7c per bu. to price each year, $3,668 Eeduction of freights on lumber, ealt, piaster, barley, oats, coru, pork, beef, wool, potatoes, &c., say, $3,608 Total saviog annually to farmers o.' town, f7,336 Now let us considor tlio amount of tax by way of loan. In the township of Seio the amount to be voted on is 000. Total valuation of town $730,000, of which, Dexter village pays on 220,600, Soio villago, Delhi and the Mills and Faetones in the township along the Huron pay on 380,000. Ilere we have a total valuation other thau farm property of 8300,000, and leaviog $130,000 of valuation on farms. So wo find tbat a loan of 835,000, $14,385. 5G is paid by non farm property, leaviug 2O,G1G.44 to be paid by tho farmers. Aud w'aat are they to rcoeive annually for this outlay ? Why 7,336, or an uunual interest of 30% per cent. ís this iuterest enough ou a loan ? Now let us traoo this investment up a few years. You will remember that the bonds loaned do not go into the hands of the eompany until the road is ironed, nor do they draw interest unlil that time. So l.ere it is : Your bonds amount to 20,616 First years' Interest 2,0öl Total 22,677 Deduct lst years' gaving ou freights 7(88(1 Debt al close of lst year $15,341 Add 2J yeur's interest 1,53-i Total 16,87C JDoduct 2 year'g saviiiRs 7,83C Debt at close of 2d year $9,83) A1d 3d ycar's interest 95t Total $10,492 DMtact 8d yeur's savingg in fruights 7,380 Debt close of 3d year $3,050 AUd 4th ycar's Interest 305 Total f8,861 Deduct 4th year'ssavings on freiyht 7,:j;;(j Ilere we have at the end of the 4th year thu principal and interest paid, um! a balance on hand of $3,975 Xow add tlio annual benefits from freight8each year, and the interest at 10 per cent. on each yearly balance, and at the end of the 12th year I ihink you will find that your debt, priueipiil und interest, ia p;.id, aud the simg euro. of Ninety-Two ThouBaud, üve hundred and thirly one ciollars surplus ia the pockets of the farmers, with perpetual annual beneiits still flowlng in, Now the abovc is a favorable exliibit even thougb the aid was a gift, whilo it is only a loan. And you will soo that in the above estimate I have not taken into accouut the enhanced value of all farm property, which I think would alono cqunl the nmountofthe loan asked for. üther urguments, e(ually weighty, could be prewpted, Lut 1 do not ask now to use any more of your spaco. These figures will apply equally as well in the case of Webster as Scio, aa thu percentage is luit little heavier iu tho lattcr than ii the former town.