The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1882-03-25
Garrespoqdsrrt.
WASHINGTON LETTER

V~V~~V~~s
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom or regular corrsaponAsaeL
WAsHISoroN, March 18th, 1852.
The calamity which has befallen those
unfortunate people residing on the territory
devastated BY the overflow Of the Missis.
sippi river excites profound sympathy
here, and prompt measures Of relief have
been adopted BY the authorities. Doubt.
les these troubles will have the effect to
secure more favo able hearing to the
large and influential delegation now here
urging the improvement Of that river
There have been many delegations at the
Capital mr. similar errand before, but this
one represents the great Mississippi River
convention held at St. Louis. and is backed
BY the entire valley. The amount asked
Tor Ia way up In the millions. The river
interests require in the aggregate about
$Ioo,ooo'ooo, but the representatives Of
those interests will be content with $50.
uoooo, which they want in five million
annual in>talments. There Is positive.
ness boat these people, an earnestness
which comes Of conviction, that excit.s
admiration. The question Of the national
Improvement Of the Mississippi has been
ag'tated for fifty wears. 1t has grown in
Importance with the population Of the
valley and the power Of the railroads. ut
is now the only politics We have" said a
member Of the delegation to me. He
thought the inter.S State commerce Of
minor consideration and disposed Of II in a
sentence. "Give us a clear route 10 the sea
board and the railroads VIII make low tolls
- tsssa ErrN1. s1> a.
anything they demand" And he illustra.
ted this by figures on freiyhts. They want
the Mississippi made great national high
way, So that ocean steamers can come up
rs high AS Cairo without obstruction.
The reach and influence Of this scheme is
tar from being understood or appreciated.
Yet. II wheat could bv set down in Liver :.
pool Tomorrow five cents a b,,shel cheap.
er than lis put down there to-day. most
any man might predict the happy advanta.
ges which would accrue to this country.
Lasl wear the relative cost to Liverpool
via New York and New Orleans from St
Louis was turtv-six cents to sixty cents
per hundred pounds in favor Of the water
route. The more money the cheap trans.
portation would put in to the the packets
OF the a.riculturists Of the Mississippi the
more it would enrich the Er.,stern manu-
tacturer Of machinery, goods OF all kinds
and Importers. AS the difference would
wholly come from abroad such enrichment
would be the permanent wealth that flows
from the natural balance OF trade. II does
not require an acute economist to see that
anything by which we can put our pro.
ducts ON foreign market at cheaper
cost is for the immediate and permanent
benefit Of fin. ~vfOl., r,,onl&s
Some important facts concerning the
manufacture Of oleomargarnc were
brought out pending the discussion Of the
ap, iculture appropriation bill in the House
Il was shown BY statements procured
from the Bureau OF Statistics and Ceu,,,,
Bureau that during the six wears ending
une 80, 1851, the value OF oleornaryarine
exported rose from S7o,4S3 in 1876 to
$751;, $40 in 1851. In 1873 the quantity ex.
ported was only 1,60S,4oI pounds, bu, il,
the wear ending June 80, 1881, It was IT,.
3,7.676 pounds. III the wear ending
December 81, 1851, the quantity Of butter
exported was only ,l,33I,3sS pounds while
In the proceeding year It was more than
37,oD,ooo pounds. The value of tn,
butter exported was So ,Sooo less in
1881 than in 1850. On the othcr hand the
statistics show that the amount and valu.
Of cheese exported were greater in 1851
than in 1880 The inference is, Of course
that the amount Of butter has greatly dc
creased because Of the remarkable growth
Of the oleomargarine industry and the
rapidly increasing amount OF 0leoinarya
rine exported. The Census Bureau tur.
nished statement showing that in thu
cities Of New York, Philadelphia, Brook.
lvn, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Cincin.
natl and Louisville, there we're /, factories
employing nearly 100 hands, paving $751;.
6lS in wages, and using $4.74o,9tI worth
Of material. The capital OF these factories
was $I,6oo,ooo. and the value Of the an
ual product $h.o3s,7S3. Foar-fitths Of the
natural product of these cities are credited
to New York CITY. At home every con
sumner is liable to become the daily victim
OF those who arc adulterating the people,
food bv an imitation so arttully Made as t.
defy detection bv any except experts, and
that our market abroad for the genuine
product is greatly harmed bv the belief
that we are palminy off on consumers a,
a dairy product base imitation.
This turns out to be semi.agricultura
letter and Ilneed hardly apologize for tnal
as these are questions in which xc are all
most deeply concerned. Ii we don't give
the farmers chance it will he pretty hard
grubbing for the rest Of us. The Su.
preme Court Judgeship is now satisfactor'
ally settled and several other important
appointments are looked for soon among
them is that Of Public Printer BY the way,
that reminds the that | must make tour
of that immense establishment, the Gov
ernment Printing Office, shortly and give
some account of it, what it contains, and
the way it turns out tons Of public docu
medts.
Dom PEDRo.