St. Landry democrat., 1888-04-28
THE NEEDLESS OCEAN.
AN Argument In Favor of at Once Filling
III In to Grade


1t I'm to Gradss
ANY one who has given thoughtful
attenticn to the subject must. it seems
to us, have been impressed with the
uselessness of the ocean, and our
readers therefore will agree with us
that the time has come when it should
be filled in to common grade.
There are many good reasons why
this should be done. In the first place
inasmuch as the submerged surface of
the globe occupies two-thirds the entire
superficial area, the amount of land re-
claimed would be enormous. and as the
sentiment seems to be growing that all
taxes should be laid upon real estate, it
follows that the more real estate there
is to lay taxes upon the greater the
revenue accruing from that source.
and by consequence municipalities
which now have great difficulty in
making both ends meet would no
longer be DISTRACTED in their appro-
priations for such internal improve
lnents as wine dinners for the city
fathers, and, incidentally, for the i'm
provement and establishment of the
city; though, to be sure, the larger the
area of land the greater the number OF
street widenings and street openings
for the accommodation of the several
varieties of pipes of the various corpo-
rate bodies for whose use and emolu-
mcnt cities are called into being.
But let that pass. If the sea were
filled there would be. no more seasick-
hcss, which is great point and should
not be lost sight of for moment, and
there would be no more drownings,
save and except an occasional drown
ing of ones sorrow in the flowing
bowl, and then there would forever be
an end to those interminable fishery
fuses, which have strained the other
wise friendly relations between the
United States and her Majesty's mari
time provinces of North America. Pos
sibly The amateur fisherman might be-
come a truth teller. This however, is
almost too much to hope for.
It might be urged that the filing of
the ocean would ruin our shore resorts,
but this is an objection which is of lit
tic moment. 1t is quite possible that
the resorters could find other places in
which to swallow vinous and cereal
liquids and to take ON their annual coat
ing of tan; and it is probable that
cooking quite as atrocious could be
obtained without the marine propin-
guilty which now render the abnormal
culinary interest SO fashionable.
But, says some one, there could be
no shipping without water for ships to
sail in. A foolish objection, truly,
when it is remembered that the United
States has no shipping at the present
time. The filling in of the sea would
not affect us; let others look out for
themselves. And it SO happens that
the officers of our gallant navy are al
ready thoroughly Injured TO land SER
vice, SO that it would be no hardship
TO them to continue to serve on shore;
while, on the other hand, the grand ma
vies of foreign nations would be rem
dered useless. and there would be no
further fear of our great seaports being
under tribute by the seagoing Kings Of
the earth, and, consequently, no need
Of disfguring our environment with
hideous Notifications.
The more one thinks upon the sub
Iect the more convinced must he be-
come of the uselessness of the sea, and
Of the expectancy and wisdom of at
once filing it in to grade. 1t will give
hand to the farmer and the real estate
magnate; it will offer to the railway
constructors new and virgin fields for
track laying. and, in short, it will be a
general good thing for every body.
By all means, then. fill 'er up!-Boston
transcript.