The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-06-08
THE NEEDLESS OCEAN.
An Argument In Favor of Mt Once FIIIins
1t In to Grade.

II 81 w
Any one who has given thoughtful
attention 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 10 common grade.
There are many good reasons why
this should be done. In the first place
inasmuch rs the submerged surface of
the globe occupies two-thirls 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 obstructed in their appro-
priations for steh internal improve
ments as wiee dinners for the city
fathers. and, incidentally. for the inn
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-
ment cities are called into being.
But let that pass. II the sea wero
Tiled there would be no more seasick-
ness, which is a greSt 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
oowl. aud then .here would forever be
an end to those interminable fishery
fuses, which have strained the other
wise friendly relations between the
United States and her Majesly's mari
time provinces of North America. Pos
sibly the amateur fisherman might be-
come truth teller This. however, is
almost too much to hope for.
1t might be urged that the filling OF
the ocean would ruin our shore resorts.
but this is an objection which is of lit
tie moment. II is quite possible that
the res0rters could find other places in
which To swallow vinons and cereal
| liquids and TO take on their annual coat
| Ing of tan; aud IL is probable that
cooking quite rs atroeious could be
| obtained without the marine propin-
quity which now render the abnormal
culinary interest so fashionable.
! Bat, SAYS some one. there could be
no shipping without water for ships to
sail in. A foolish objection. truly.
| when IL is remembered that the United
States has no shippin at the present
/ time. The filling in of the sea would
not affect ms; let others look out for
themselves And it so happens thai
| the officers of our gallant navy are al
ready thoroughly Injured 10 land SER
vice. so that ii would be no hardship
To them tn continue to serve on shore;
while, on the other hand. the grand ua-
yies Of foreign nations would be rem
dered useless. and there would be no
further fear # our great seaports being
under tribute by the seagoing Kings oI
the earth, and. consequently, no need
of disfiguring our environment with
hideous Notifications.
The more one thinks upon the sub.
ject the more convinced must he be
come of the uselessness of the sea, and
of the expediency and wisdom of a
once filling it in to grade, 1t will give
land to the farmer and the real estate
nlagnate; it will offer to the railway
constructors new and virgin fields fol
track laying. aud. in short, it will be 9
general good thing for every body.
By all means, then, fill 'er up!-Boston
Transcript.