San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-20

Totals. ................. p, Jos "a, 14O
The difference in mileage from the
capitals of the twenty states and ter
ritories west of the Mississippi river
as shown above is IL, O35 miles in favor
of the gulf. This 3,035 miles of trans
portation is the measure of the econ
Omy of opening a deep water harbor
on the Gulf coast of Texas. The saw
ing in that measure of economy is the
cost of train service over that Is, 035
miles, for the surplus productions of
the west, in transporting them to the
ocean. AS was stated in previous
article, the aggregate tonnage of the
surplus meat and breadstuffs grown
west of the Mississippi is IS, 100000
tons, as shown by the agricultural re-
turns OF last year. Dividing the 1905
miles of short haul in the aggregate,
as shown in the preceding table, by
the 20 different stations considered,
and the average is 651 miles from
each. The saving, then, in moving
the surplus meat and bread from the
trans-Mississippi region to the ocean,
is equivalent to the saving of the
freight on 25,0OO,OOO tons, over B51
miles of rail. Railroad experts give
three-quarters of cent, per mile, per
ton, as the average cost of moving
rail treights in the United States.
This amounts, for 25,OOO,O 600 tons, over
651 miles of rail, to the nice little sum
of 1922, 082, 800, and this is the
amount of the economy that would
result from freighting the surplus
production OF the trans-Mississippi re-
glon to the gulf instead of to New
York. Is not the ground well taken
on the gulf coast of Texas, that such
port is demanded by every considera-
ton of economy?
1t is demanded in accordance with
every principle of justice, as we'll.
The country lying west of the Misss-
sippi river, included in the states and
territories tabulated above, has an
area of over 100000 square miles;
the territory east of the river has less
than 100000 square miles. This
western section of the United States
has Il population at present number
ing 15,0O0,0O0, or one-fOurth of the
whole. This population is multiply
ing so rapidly that every decade the
proportion grows greater and the in
equality is diminished. The expend-
itures of this government for public
Improvements of all kinds. since the
adoption of the constitution, is con-
siderably over $500, 900, 900, or nearly
SO per capita for the whole popula-
ton but, the whole appropriations
west of the river only aggregate S42,-
1000, less than So per capita. Not
only have the West Mississippi river
people received but One-third of the
average expenditures per capita of the
general government, but the East
| Mississippi river region has profited
| by this discrimination and has receiv-
ed the other $6 per capita which lust
| ly belonged to the western section
This addition raises the appropria-
| lions, per capita, in the East Missis-
sippi regions tonearly So. making the
| difference of government appropria-
lions so glaring as at once to stamp
| tn division as an in Justice.
Here then we have in our Yves
Mississippi region three fifths of all
the territory of this country, not in
Guiding Alaska; We produce one half
of all the corn grown in the United
States, more than half of all the
wheat, almost two thirds of the beef
and half of the pork, and this pro-
| duction is increasing annually: we
draw less than So. per capita in gem
eral government appropriations,
while the East Mississippi resident
draws Sl2, and we pay 1922 600. 900
annually to export our supplies to the
harbors of the east, provided by gov
ernment appropriation, when with
a fair proportion of these national
appropriations we would have deep
water harhors on our own gulf coast
and save annually a very large per
cent of that Sl22 900 600. But a large
per cent is not asked tor. The mis err
able pittance of ten per cent of that
annual tax, levied on our products as
tribute to eastern sea ports and carry
ing lines, would create two deem
water ports on the gulf coast Of Tex
as and then leave six or seven mil
lions to experiment with in the hope
less aJtempr TO make a deep wafer
port at Galveston. Is it not true that
by every consideration of ius'i-e tnia
West Mississippi region is warranted