Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-09-14
DEEP WATERWAYS.
Wealth to the Western Farmer Ts Az
sured by It's Completion.

deep channels between Lakes Superior,
Huron, Michigan and Erie has been
going on. At length the work is done,
or under contract to complete, so that
from all the lakes twenty-foot channels
may practically be said to exist. With
the completion of the iater-lalke
channels, all the immense and rapidly
increasing navigation converges to the
common eastern terminus at Buffalo.
The existence of the great lakes has
made possible the so-called northwest,
since it has permitted the products of
the northwest to reach markets at
much lower figure than has been
possible by all rail. From Duluth to
Buffalo, eleven hundred miles, it costs
about one-third as much as it costs to
transship and transport across New
York state. Increasing COMPETE
ton from those countries of
the world possessing cheap land
and cheap labor makes it
imperative on the producers, the farm
ers of the northwest, to search out, if
possible, some way of getting their
crops to the eastern markets at lower
rate than they have been getting. To
every producer in the northwest it will
be of interest TO know that on Septem-
Der 1926 there will be a convention
held in the city Of Cleveland for the
purpose of developing in large way
the facts relating to this deep water
navigation from Buffalo eastward.
With view to decreasing the cost, it
is necessary to use the existing lakes
and river, with supplementary canals,
\ - A11n QEo1@
east in some such ratio as has been Sc
cured in the upper lakes. An eminent
engineer, G. N. Dutton, who has given
the matter a great deal of study, has
prepared the following statements and
figures, which beg to present, with
out comment, simply asking that they
be read and thought on:
sixteen great states, namely, Ohio, Indi-
ana, Illinois, kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin.
Minnesota Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota,
South Dakota. Nebraska, Kansas. Montana,
Wyoming and Colorado, must ship their sur
plus agricultural products from the great
lakes to the Seaboard. Deep water navigation
would effect an immediate reduction in freight
costs, and consequent increase in crop values
OF an average of five cents bushel on grain
and potatoes, four dollars a ton on hay and
five dollars and upwards ton on straw.
In the sixteen states most benefited. the
direct money gain, com puC6Q on the crop re-
ports OF 1895, will be as follows:
YEARLY GAIN
40 Cain at sc
CROP. Yield bM Value per 6u per 6u
Corn 80 RIO 900 900 1926. 1858 900 S041 s36, 900 600
S SSSSS
Rye $500. 100000 6,634,0O0 "A 750.000
Barley. DO 100000 17,143,O0) 40 100000
Potatoes 100000 46624,376 .55 100000
Tons Ton.
clay. 20 100000 215e5O,soo 7s4 d17s9Oooo
Annual gain on agricult'l products $427,76O, 900
AGain at 81 a ton. tGain at IS a ton
DOMESTIC ANIMALS (MEATl.
Number VdIue o. ct Gdin
Mich cows. S455,sl7 S190.3O5.2s IL $22. 1856 go
Meat cattle II 686.O44 3O4 100 esq 10 "a 1863 SJ7
Sheep 10 S6S ~ 5dSs s ~ 1 STSS o o49
Gain in value OF meat animals -. Sl14,17 99s
Yearly gain one-third Of above.,.... S9,o5SS 1888
1.-THE sixteen states above referred to have
total area in improved farm lands OF 199, 326e76
acres The increased value OF the productions
of these lands will be S465, 300 900 annually an
increased annual earning of So. 1915 per acre. If
the market value of land depends upon
its earning power, and the ratio OF in
crease of value be taken at four times the in
crease in yearly earnings, then the improved
farm lands Of these sixteen states will In
crease in value 80 1876 per acre or 81 1866 1900
as the Immediate result of the opening Of the
Maritime canal of North America.
Vast as this sum appears, it is partial
statement Of the gain to the west resulting
from. deep draft navigation to the seaboard
because it is based on the short crops OF 1894,
and does not take account OF truck, fruits,
small grains, dairy products, poultry eggs,
horses and mules, and wood, timber. bark etc.
neither does it take account Of mine products
and manufactures, or the increase in values In
city and manufacturing pr operty."
This movement has received. the in
dorsement of most of the United States
senators from the west.
Last winter the legislature of Mime
sofa memorialized congress in support
of this measure. Senator McCleary, Of
Mankato, is gathering data from Can
ada and the United States with view
to urging it in the northwest and in
congress.
The east has no transportation ques-
ton. Her manufactured goods, worth
perhaps thousands of dollars ton, are
not perceptibly affected by slight diff
erence in freight. The farming dis
tricts of the west are vitality affected
when all profit in their crops is eaten
up by the carrying charges. AS ma
tional question it should be borne in
mind that the manufacturing east re-
ceives her raw products largely from
the west; also her cheap food supplies
In turn she finds her best market in the
farming states of the west. 1t should
also be remembered that the enormous
cash balance annually required abroad
to settle the foreign exchange must be
provided in the main by the western
and southwestern farms or by gold
The pressure is urgent. The naviga
ton cannot be provided soon enough
if commenced now. The convention at
Cleveland will be marked by the pres
ence of many specialists with specially
prepared papers covering wide range
of public matters. As chairman of the
executive committee, / respectfully re-
quest correspondence with commercial
bodies, public officials and the papers,
if in any way it may lead to fuller in
formation and quickened interest. In
| particular, | desire assurances of sup