The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-13

creation Of a sinking fund for the ultimate
redemption OF the public debt.
Though the system Of granting gratui-
tOusly 20 actual settlers such OF the public
lands vs. are NJ for ag iculture, besides bedOw-
ing them as bount'es to our brave soldiers.
and also as donations TO corporations, TO aid in
the construction OF main lines Of railway, can
not now be repealed, yetwe are of the opinion
that while the policy referred to may have
almost entirely cxtinguishcd the direct reve-
nue. from the lands in question, an indirect
revenue from them has been created within
the last thirty years that is lar greater and
more valuable than that which the Govern
mcnt could ever by any possible MEANS have
derived from the territory directly. By way
Of illustration we rccite the following well
authenticated facts The growth Of the pro-
ductivc powers Of the West is largely due to
the increased facilities for transportation.
During the past ten years there have been
built, in that section of the country 1866 miles
of railroad, at cost Of S253, ,250,404, mostly
by Eastern or imported capital. The Illinois
Central Railroad Company alone brought into
Illinois s3OOOOOOO, aud built a road which
enabled the Federal Government to sell
Slt,OOOCOO worth of land, and the Company to
sell a2OOOOOOO worth more, to actual settlers,
making over S6l 100000 concentrated in that
State by the operations Of one company The
chief effect of this has been to swell the aggrc-
gate grain receipts at Chicago, during the ten
yea 81, to 15s5i4544 bushels, which, at an az
grcgate cost Of sixty cents per bushel (the
value for 1860 at Chicago), would be worth
S1ZOyCOO,O exceeding by about
S31 ,OCOOOO the cost of the railroads, through
the agency of which the grain was made avail
bic. In 1861, the grain increased to 47,6975O9
bushels, the southern routes being closed, and
in 1862 the amount was 6O,1jO30O bushels.
Thus the land donated by Congress to aid
in constructing Me Illinois Central railway
has contributed to create an increased wealth
and production, which, no doubt, pays a reve-
nue. to the national treasury, from various
sources and in manifold ways, much greater
in the, aggregate than any sum the lands
could ever have yielded directly.
Then again il must not be forgotten that
the country has gained intellectually in power
and prosperity through that vast current of
emigration which our Homestead law has
been mainly instrumental in drawing hither
from all parts of Europe and Great Britain.
This access to our strength in population began
to be decidedly marked about the year 1920,
fiom which time to 1860 the arrival OF emf
grants from abroad may be stated Us iOllows:-
There arrived in 10 years. -
From 1890 to 1880, 2ll,49O
From 1880 to 1910, $4,000
From 1910 to 1850, 1,5jS,30O
From 1850 to 1860, 2,707,G24
Total, 5,OG2,415
Being yearly average Of 12G.560 for the
last 40 years, and 27O,762 tor the last 10 years.
The population of France in 1901 was
27,3l9OO3; in 1861, 37,412, 1872, being about 81
per cent. increase in 90 years.
The population of Prussia has increased
since 1916 at the rate Of 70 per cent. in 40
years. England and Wales show an increase
Of 121 per cent. in go years against an increase
in the United States in 90 years OF 593 per
cent.
The positive result OF this immense influx
ofpopulation, settled mostly on fertile lands,
and which was just so much productive power
taken from other nations and added to ours,
is shown in a corresponding advance in the
material wealth of the people of the United
States. The assessed value of that portion OF
property which is actually taxed increased as
follows In 1901 (estinated), O,OOOOOJ;
1916 (estimated), S1,SOOOOO,9OO; 1850 (ofi-
cial valuatlon), S7,1357sO,22Si 1860 (ofical
valuation), $16,159,6l6,O63; showing an i'm
crease in the last decade alone OfS9 02}S3J $40.
In view Of such statistics, 1t may be inferred
that our national land system has, on the
whole, been wise and beneficial in an eminent
degree; and Secretary FEssENDEN, while ex-
| pressing a doubt whether it would have been
adopted in prospect of the struggle in which
the nation is now engaged says il may be
fairly questioned whether, and to what extent.
the public domain, given away TO actual set
tiers, has not afforded through Immigration.
which is daily augmenting the resources and
power Of the Republic, all the material aid to
the Government in this crisis or its aflirs
which il could have been made to render by
any different policy.
In May last there remained orthe public land.
belonging to the Government OF the United
! States, O04901 ,525 acres-an estate in itself
large enough, il wisely managed in the future,
I 10 pay the whole present debt Of the nation.
. pfiucirgt and ipfpragt