The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-10
NORTHERN WATERWAYS.
An Important Movement to Protect Nort]
western Producers.

L
western Producers.
At the late meeting of the St. Pau
Chamber of Commerce Hon. II. NI. Rlc
presented the following report:
Mn: PRESIDENT: On the l7th of March las
| this chamber
Resolyed, That standing committee of eieb
be appointed, II. NJ. Rice, chairman T., with fu]
authority to act with the boards of trade @
Cleveland, Buffalo, and such other representa-
tive bodies of the country as take special in
terest in the improvement Of the great lakes
to the end that such public influences may b.
awakened, action taken and measures urged
as will hasten the improvement of the e.rea
water way, So that the largest sized lake vessel
may be made available to carry the production
OF the West to the markets of the world.
In pursuance of the above resolution the fol
lowing committee was appointed: Fl. NJ. Rice
". L. Banning, H. H. Sibley, ". r. Marshall
q. X. Davis, J. NJ. Gilman, Horace Thom pson
James Smith, Jr.
The committee at once organized and sen,
resolutions to the boards of trade of Cleveland
Buffalo, and to all Other representative bodies
supposed to take special interest in an earl,
improvement of the northern water way. Re
sponses have been received from Cleveland
and Duluth only.
cleveland, ever formost Ill the good work
appointed committee, composed of her most
actiye and intelligent citizens. Dulutf
promptly responded. Other cities have re-
mained silent, thus making it incumbent upon
us, who are the most interested, to renew with
Increased activity the work Of cheapeniue
transportation by securing an early
improvement of the northern
route and the approaches
thereto. To this end it is deemed important tc
place before the chamber and the country in.
formation upon the subject that will aid our
pt ople to act understandingly.
Ii the season shall continue favorable VIC
may expect this year crop, with that of north
era Dakota, wlilreaCh from fifty to sixty mil
lion bushels of wheat, with corresponding in.
crease of other products.
Railroads are being extended and new ones
are being built to meet the demands of new
settlements which are more rapidly than even
before taking possession of the fertile lands to
the West.
As this vast region is mostly occupied by
farmers it can readily be seen that their pros.
perity must depend largely upon their having
cheap transportation secured to them.
In many respects we are greatly favored over
other lands, having at our command the great
lakes and rivers of the continent, upon which
we can tioat our cargoes of food to the con-
sumers; but to avail ourselves of the greatest
benefits that can be derived from them, they
must be improved as we'll as access to them
made easy.
We're it not for the northern water way and
the railroads leauing to Duluth, wheat in many
parts Of our State would not pay for the rails
ing; but as it il, that the most remote from
the Eastern markets. commands the highest
prices.
The people of the State, especially those of
Ibis city and Minneapolis, should not close
their eyes to the Importance OF reducing the
rates of transportation-to say nothing of the
probability that for want of united and intel
llgent action, all the profits of wheat raising
will be absorbed by railways.
Hon. Horatio Seymour, Jr., State enoinee,
tor New York, says in his able report of Janu.
ary last:
''Our canals have not only carried large
amounts at low price, but they are to be
credited with the fact that they have benefited
the public by forcing the railroads to reduce
their rates to point that they have either lost
money, in order to break down canal competi.
tion, or their charges heretofore have been tee
high.' This will apply to lake and rive,
transportation. as we'll us canal. He furthe,
says: But the amount saved in transporta
tlon is not the full measure of the benefits
to all classes of our citizens, of low
tolls and cheap transportation. These en-
abled us to send vast quantities of grain anc
other products to the markets of Europe, which
could not have been sold there if they hac
been burdened with the pooling rates of rail
their profits by combinations and not by com
petition. By a division Of commerce among
them, each tries to make dividends, not by the
amount they shall carry, but by the rate o.
their charges. Our position, however, is a ia
vorable one, and to enable us to control it, ",
have only to control a connection with Duluth
which will, to great extent, govern transpor
tation rates Of eastern bound freight, and thu
leave to our citizens proper proportion of tn,
profits of their own labor. Not only this, bu
it will give home market, always the best, a
it is the most certain and convenient. a roat
owned and controlled by our own people, con
Meeting the head of Lake Superior with st
Paul and Minneapolis is matter Of easy ac
complishment, if the two cities will unite Will
the roads now under-the, control of our citi
zens, whose interests arc onr interests.
has " no "c Controlling Iii 'Af home Guy market Sn
for the reason that she quietly slept while lax,
cities sent their trafficing railroads on parable
lines through every county in the State, thu
transferring the profits from the earnings o.
her own people to Chicago ard Milwaukee, ane
preventing her from building up for herself :
city worthy of SO great State.
How few consider that the evil does not enc
in this; how few consider that every dollar O.
profit the roads make goes to enrich the non
resident stockhoder; how few are aware tha
Iowa contributes largely toward paying tn
trade to Chicago and Milwaukee, thereby in
creasing the value of the taxable property i,
those cities.
Every dollar We give to our own merchants
manufacturers, farmers or laborers decrease
our taxes by increasing our ability to nay. s.
every dollar we send abroad increases our take
by lessening our wealth. So it is with rail
roads when owned by our citizens; til profit
remain with US to be used in developing IN,
improving our State and its cities, but whel
the stock is in the hands of non-residcnts tn
profits are taken from our pockets and in tn
shape of dividends go to enrich citizens o
other States.
Capital seeks large cities. Were St. Pau
and Minneapolis united in feeling and in &C
tion, working together for their common good
millions of capital would seek inyestmen
within their limits, where thousands now do
and they wonld soon be in a condition to large
ly shape the commerce of the State, by givin.
cheap transportation through the lakes and th
Mississippi river, and thus reduce the railroa.
rates to Eastern cities.
Mr.. Seymour says: "The cost of carrying
| our products to the markets of the world ha
been so much reduced, that the balance o
trade has been turned in our favor; the cur
rency of our country has been lifted up to pa
with specie, and the wealth it has yielded t,
our producers gives hope to all classes of NOR
prosperous times. No one can study the sta
tlstlcs OF the past two years, who will not se
that the better state of things, and the hope O
the future which now dawns upon us, ar
mainly due to our canal and water rates, with
out which We should not have had such
volume of exports, nor such wide margin i,
our favor in our commerce with the world"
This truth is made more striking by th
fact that it has enabled us to sell our product
to Europe, although low prices ruled there
Heretofore we have only looked for market
abroad when war or famine have made for then
demands. Cheap transportation will give ney
life to all kinds of business.
We now come to the most significant part o
Mr.. Seymour's report; that part which 50 clear
ly shows the prominent position Minnesota &C
cuPies, if she will but be wise, by improyin,
the opportunity.
In quoting from his report substitute Du
luth for Chicago; for SO far as Eastern waite
transportation is concerned, their positions ar
the same, in other respects Dulnth's postio,
is far the most favorable, as she is three or fou
hundred miles nearer the coming wheat centre
than is Chicago. He says: while there is A.
much reason for congratulation about the i'm
proved condition of commerce of ou, State. /
threatened from a new quarter. Our canal
nd railroads are alike endangered in the nca
| future by the water route through the vale
l-EA AA1C