The patron of husbandry., 1882-06-10
The Jetties "a National Blessing.

The great good accomplished by the J Jetties
ought to encourage Congress to the improve
ment of the whole river. Thousands of arti-
eles have been devoted to this subject, show
ing the immense benefit these works have
been to the country---not any particular sec
ton, but the entire United States, East and
West, North and South. The exact benefit
can be easily estimated in dollars and cents.
The wheat and corn, the pork and beef raised
in the Mississippi valley, have commercial
value the wide world over. They are in de-
mand throughout Europe and our markets are
responsive to those of England, France and
Germany. When there is fall in freight
rates, fall in provision does not follow in
consequence Thus, although the cost of
sending a bushel of grain from the Missis-
sippi river to New York is twice cheap as
it was six years ago, thanks to the Jetties,
the price of wheat and corn is actually higher
The difference in rates, now universally ad.
mitted to be due to the competition that the
river offers to the railroad pool, is the gain
derived from this great National enterprise;
and this gain is estimated at $3.50, 900, 900,
which is the amount paid into the pockets of
the Western farmers and producers. At one
fftieth of the cost of the Pacific Railroad,
ten times the benefit has been obtained to the
country No National work in the United
States, none indeed in the world, except the
Suez Canal has borne such golden fruit, and
so affected the future and prosperity of
country, And vet this work is but half COM
pleted, for there are scores of places In TINS
great waterway which need improving be-
fore It is ali it should be for the Mississippi
Valley.
While New Orleans, standing as it does at
the mouth of the river, has reaped some ben
eft from this great enterprise, it has been no
merely local matter. Indeed, the Western
farmer has been more benefited than our mer-
chants by it, for while the latter gets only a
cent or a half of cent commission on the
grain passing through this city, the producer
is benefited the Is to 20 cents increase wh.ch
the Jetties have given tc his wheat.
The benefits produced to the entire Union
by the Jetties are seen in the increased acre
age in grain each year, and the greater pro-
duct and wealth of the country. California
produced 56 ,O0O, 900 bushels of wheat some
time ago, but its crop has been steadily
decreasing of late years because there
has been no market for this grain, be-
cause freight rates have been so high as to
make its cultivation impossible. Under the
old system if was impossible to raise corn IN
Nebraska and Dakota proftably. Some was
raised for home consumption and some Ior
fuel, but nobody dreamed OF exporting IL 20
Europe the railroad rates would not aiiow OF
this. 1t was only when the river was opened
IN commerce. when the practicability of send>
in the grain down the Mississippi was recog.
nized. that the railroads suddenly dropped
their rates and the Northwest doubled and
trebIed its grain crop. This is the benefit the
United States, East and West, North ana
South, gets from the Jetties.
For the rest Of the world, Tor the hungry
millions of Europe, it has its advantages also,
for were the Jetties closed tomorrow and the
railroad pool hold monopoly of the trans
portation of Western products, it is but little
American four or wheat they would see.---
Ne.o Orleans Tinaes- Democrat