, 1873-05-19
FARMS AND RAILROADS.

Protection and war are kindred blessings The
effects OF Esr ca1 only be estimated by consider
ing what degree Of wealth and prosperity the
country would have reached had it not occurred
The effects Of the protective system upon indus
trv can only be measured by ascertainlng what
progress. known agencies would have insured
but for that system. The value Of farm landhas
Increased, according to the census returns, only
s per cent since 1860. During the preceding de-
cade Of low duties it increased 1o9 per cent The
,ope1ntion Of known forces, had there been no
.ounteracting loss or hindrance, would have in
s~ed q still greater increase during the decade
jus dosed. r. $3.50:
r.: ohe4among the fofees which stimulate in
c1ease% reduction by agriculture is the increase
Of zailroat~ for the transportation Of its pro-
ducts .fof e cost Of moving these bully pro-
ducts to mar is the chief hindrance to bound
less deyelopm< Of agriculture in country
where land Is ao', ant, fertile, and free. When
:: England wished t>upply herself With, cotton
from India, Engln built railways in India.
When the Gear wished, g, open for his subjects
fraa competition on fair ~ - tha r,a,n.nar-
kets of the world, he bull ~ilways tor Russia.
Yet no country could com, with the United
states in the great markets. 9ricn1trra1 rro-
anrta.~<but fc~. direrences: s. l(+ha .-eost
: ~ t.-spoTtation: Precisely I onr
:: LABOR is more costly, being 1s-.,. .,G1ra
i having more skill, and using: ;.s .a- .;a,:;an
tions for the multiplication Of human. ;,~a
could produce and transport at lower pr y" -
other nations, il both production and tranb. =.
tion we're not artifcia1ly enhanced in cost. w.,
the whole world. for consumers, NO have an 81
practically bound1ess for cultivation. =;
, :: But, even with reference to cur Owl consumr
ton alone, the costot transporting products
market beare SO large proportion to cost q
:: production that the: boundary beyond vhic
j.: farming (other than stock -growing) remains IN
profitable, is t'aced year after year by the rail
road-buildeis.: For: the same reason, the salu
Of, every farm is increased whenever new rout
-shortons the distance Of transportation by wagon
and so enables the farmer to obtain higher plic
for his products: Indeed, the value Of farm
in any county has ordinarily been double
within ten years b5 the construction of a rail
i road Penetrating it. Not alone, but largely t
this cause, must we attributable doubling Of th
value Of ali farming land throughout the couu
try during the decade ending in 1860. ~ TIL
average value Of farms in each State, az til
census Of that year shows, WAS quite general
higher or lower according to the number o
miles of railroad in each compared with the are
.of, far1ns: Thus the great Central States has
fourteen miles Of railroad to the 1905 acres o
farm land, and that land averaged sa7.s2 pc
acre in: value; the Western States ha'
ten miles to the 100000 acres. and thei
land averaged s1s.11 per acre; the Bor
der States ,han four miles to the 10000
acres; and their land averaged e15.54 per acre
the: Southern States had but two mile
Of railroad to the 10o,oo acres, and their liant
aTe1aged but 1926 per acre; :; while in the Pacii
States there Tas but single short road, AMI
farm land averaged s5.94 per acre. Allowing
$50, 600 per mile for the entire cost Of building
and equipment, ne invested during that decad
St,080 0Q0, 900 in railroads, and the increase il
the value Of farms was es,s1e, ,ooo, 900, more
than three times Us great.
/ Yet, during the last decade, We built nearl,
! 1000 miles more Of railroad than in the decad
1850 co.. and expended more money BY nearl,
800 o0o 600, but the entire increase in the va1u
OF farms was only ss46, 200, 600. OF course, to
comparison with 1860, the valuation. TO
1870 is reduced to gold. Considering
] only o. the enhancement in value o
| land within seren miles on eithe
side Of roads thus built. ne have oyer 2o6 ooo 0o
acres,--noor than half the entire area now EN-