The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-03

Nsvigable Stream.
1ranld Cost Lssss Ihan TO Build : Railroa
Lower Freight Rates
Thereby Secured.
KANSAS CITY, Dec. Fin q recent I'D
dress before tho Commercial club of Kal
sas City. Samuel a. Yonge, engineer
charge OF tho improvement Of the Missoul
river between Kansas City and 81. Louis
estimated that the cost Of complete i'm
proyement would probably equal $1,000
bar milo. This looks like 4 large sum, bu
Il fails to 40 10 when IT i'd remembered tina
1ho average cost per mile of single trac'
railroad ii about $$5s,0O0. In the north
western states III is $48,143, and IN thu
southwestern 4, 1870 With such improve
ments Of the river AZ Mr.. Yonge's estimat,
contemplates ii will have q carrying capac-
ity equal to thirty single track railroads
md will afford rates of about ona-fifth
present rail rates. such il the experience
On 0thsr American waterways Of equal
nj G0HItGt0Is &H#Lg 561AAC ~ AVoAAs ~ $3.50 49,
iect 81 the River Improvement convention
Rt Kansas City Dec. 16 and IS. i is pro
posed that this meeting shall take steps to
secure the complete Improvement OF the en-
tire river. Governors, senators and repre-
sentatiyes In congress-, senators and repre-
sentatives in state legislatures, mayors in
towns and cities, and presidents OF all COM
meroial bodies, are invited to seats IN the
convention, besides which all commercial
bodies are invited to appoint delegates. All
should attend and make auch an expression
on the subject a. will command prompt and
efficient action on tho part Of congress.
The value Of the Improvements Of the
Missouri river ID best illustrated by the
facts which show what effect il would have
upon the grain-producing lnterssts OF the
bordering states. While the yield Of wheat
has been increasing annually for the past
twenty years. the foreign demand has fallen
from 153,OoO.O0O bushels in 1880 to 46.000,-
600 bushels in 1889. The American price
has declined from $1.31 per bushel in 1878
gradually and perslstently to SO cents per
bushel Id 1889. This state Of facts in the
United States il closely connected with a
similar state OF facts existing in Great
Britain. With a very slight decrease in
home products in the past ten years there
has been an increase in importation Of 100
per cent, and the price in the English mar
ket has fallen steadily from ffty-seyen
shiIlings three pence per quarter in 1878 to
thirty shillings eight pence per quarter in
1889. The change in tho English market
price is the direct cause of the change in
the American market price. Our surplus is
sold in the English market, and
the value OF u entire crop in the
hands OF the producer is its value
in the English market. less the
cost Of carriage and handling: for the sur
plus which we send abroad. however small,
Hxes the price of the entire crop at home.
The decreased value in the English market
and the decrease Of American expectations
is due to tho increase OF the Indian crop
and to mportationsint0 Great Britain from
India since the opening Of the Suez canal.
II was about 1872 that the first experimental
shipments were made from India, but with
tho opening Of the Suez canal the importa-
tions from that country increased SO rapidly
that az early as 1886 the receipts thcrefrom
were over forty millions of bushels. These
facts show very clearly that it is the Indian
wheat, with its cheap water transportation.
that has depressed the English and
ASU ~ - lAAy AI< pAO LAA 4S1L&D
ont Of the English market. The circum-
is beyond the control of the American
people, and our only protection against it
in the reduction of the cost of deliver
ing American wheat in the English market.
The prevailing rate on tho Mississippi
from st. Louis to New Orleans is about
nix cents per bushel. With Improvement Of
the Missouri river the same rate can be
on that stream. which will make
the charge not to exceed eight cents per
bushei from Kansas City to New Orleans.
ten cents from Omaha, twelve cents from
Sioux City and Yankton, which would be a
great saving over the present rate of deliv-
erlng wheat from these points to New York.
The reduction in the cost Of transportation
would be an enhancement in the value of
the wheat in the hands of farmers, and
would apply to the whole crop. Let any
one figure what this would amount to from
his W locality and he can readily see that
II means millions of dollars annually to the
farmers Of the Missouri valley, which is
prosperity for all classes of business.
One reason for the improvement of tho
water ways OF this country is that they are
necessary for the handling of the crops and
mining output. The experience of tho past
few weeks has shown that all the railroads
in the country, using ell of their cars, CEN
not move the crops of the Missouri valley
with reasonable promptitude. Every city
CT any Importance on the way from the
farms has been clamoring for cars and rail-
ways have refused to accept grain, because
they must either do this or reject more
profitable business. The fact is the rail
roads do not want this business when they
can get rid Of it. In order to haul the
freight that went down the river from ST. |
Louis last year, by rail, would require ono
train Of forty cara every fifteen minutes for
the entire year. Twenty-eight million tons
OF freight by water alone, and with a COM
paratively large amount this year, the roads
are short OF cars rs soon as the grain move
ment sets in. Without the relief by water
on the rivers, lakes and canals, they would
be utterly unable to handle the commerce
OF this country with three times the equip
ment they now have. This is a good rea-
son for increasing the number and capacity
Of the water ways, including the Missouri
system from Montana to the gulf.
Water transportation has always been
conceded to DO the best regulator of railway
charges; but tho best statement of the case
which has been made for a long tine is the
call for q river improvement convention at
Kansas City on Dec. ID and I6. This quotes
the general average of the rates OF the
Staten bordering on the great lakes at .O79o
OF q cent per ton per mile; while IL is LOGO
cents in tho northwestern and 1850 in tho
southwestern. The difference is entirely
due to the influence of the lakes, as is
shown in the testimony Of Albert Fink be-
fore the sonata Gomsnittan an ;ntaru+ota