Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-08-27
A BUSINESS REVIVAL.

The -imrricun Grocer, one of the
best Of our trade journals. declares
that consumption has al last overtak-
en- production, and that the country is
entering another trade boom. Money
is being called out from the banks for
use in productive enterprises and
prices are showing such signs Of re-
covery as to spur manufacturing.
Railroad building, which for thirty
years has been quite infallible indi-
Gator of prosperity, is again on the in
crease. The building of railways in
this country is governed by :, different
law from one that would obtain in the
finished countries OF Europe. Here
the railroad is the pioneer of proiuc-
ton and keeps ahead of it. When
consumption ovcrtakcs production and
spurs it forward into new fields, the
rail foresees the effect and pushes into
new regions SO that industry will be
tempted to develop them by the chance
to transport its results to. the points of
consumption. 1t is for this reason
that the increase in railroad building
has far outrun the increase in produc-
ton of the standard articles of COM
merce. Taking four of those stand
ards-grain, cotton, anthracite and pig
iron-from 1850 to 1850, and compar-
ing their increase with that of railroad
mileage in the same period, there is
developed the pioneer function of
railways. In the thirty-five years be-
tween 1850 and 1885, the respective
increase per cent. was: Grains, 232
cotton, III; anthracite, ST.; pig iron,
1893; railroads 1889.
In the same period our total volume
of imports and exports increased only
3l5 per cent, SO that apparently rail-
road building outgrew the volume Of
our entire production and commerce,
and measured by the laws of trade
such rate of increase must have
proved disastrous But when railway
construction is considered as an agent,
cause and promoter of the increase in
production and trade, there appears a
reason why disaster has not followed.
Its present activity is anticipation of
new demands upon production, and so
is to he taken as a good sign of reviv-
ing trade.
In 1850 We had 23OOOOOO of popu
lation and 5000 miles of railroad, or
a mile OF road to each 2,535 people.
In 1885 we had 6O,OO0,OOO of people
and 129,9O0 miles of railroad, or a
mile to each 465 people. This indi-
Gates the relation OF railroad building
to augmentation of the population
through it's agency in the distribution
of mankind to conditions more favor
able to natural increase and also by
the attractions it provides to home
seeking immigration from abroad.
That is to say, the conquest of new
regions by railroads broadens the OPP
portunitics of life, and so puts hui
mainly at ease with its natural condi-
tons. The exact vival statistics of
Europe show that the marriage and
birth-rate go down as the price of food
and the death rate go up, and that
the death rate goes down and mar
riages and births increase as food
becomes easier OF procurement. 1t is
fair, then, to conclude that an impulse
to railroad building means an improve
ment in trade because it means an in
crease in the population, and therefore
an increase in consumption.
The Grocer, considering the increase
of population without inquiry into its
causes, concludes that it is this period
ical ground-swell of population over
taking production that causes our reg
ular business booms. The Immigrant
system, of which railways have been
the much critised beneficiaries, is
worthy of examination rs an agency
in the distribution of population. A
land grant serves at first rs a basis of
the credit upon which our railway sys-
TEN has been built. Thereafter the
grant is useless except for what it pro-
duces for transportation by it's benefi-
ciary corporation. While railroads
have not always comprehended this,
at last they have grown to the policy
of inducing actual settlers to take
their lands on such favorable terms as
to price and credit as will put them
promptly in commission for the pro-
duction OF crops for transportation.
This system has at least kept these
lands out of the control OF syndicates
and large holders, whose only interest
in them is the first price, for they care
nothing for the subsequent production,
while to the railroads the first price is
the secondary consideration, and pro-
duction is the all-controlling interest.
AMONG other candidates for the Re-
publican nomination, the Htelligencer
places the name OF Judge Roger S.
Greene. That crank should never be
used to turn the wheels OF govern
ment. He stands in the same attitude
of Gov. Squires. The people will not
soon forget that he sanctioned martial
law, when it was his sworn duty to re-
sist il by maintaining the sunremacy