|
|
| Re: NY congressman Higgins writes Amtrak's Moorman in support of reopening Buffalo Central Terminal (1430930) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > SubChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: NY congressman Higgins writes Amtrak's Moorman in support of reopening Buffalo Central Terminal |
|
|
Posted by Joe V on Wed Mar 22 18:28:01 2017, in response to Re: NY congressman Higgins writes Amtrak's Moorman in support of reopening Buffalo Central Terminal, posted by Nilet on Wed Mar 22 17:39:31 2017. FURTHERMORE:For you to think this has any relevancy today, given the massive government subsidies handed to aviation and highway post WWII, you're wrong, and it was all out west. http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/railroads-federal-land-grants-issue "only 18,738 miles of railroad line were built as a direct result of these land grants and loans. This figure represents only EIGHT PERCENT of the total railroad mileage built in the United States between 1860 and 1920. The government program was important because the building of these lines opened up the trans-Mississippi West and stimulated settlement, but most of the railroads were built by private enterprise—in some cases with state and local support. Not everyone applauded the subsidies. For example, the land grant–loan system under the Pacific Railway Act was subjected to harsh criticism by reformers who argued that it represented a vast give–away of money and public property to assist businessmen who made vast fortunes. As a result, the program of federal aid was discontinued in 1871. However, the arguments of the reformers were not entirely correct. The loans were, for the most part, repaid and the railroad companies did not reap vast fortunes from the re–sale of their land grants." |
|
|
|