The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-09-13
DEEP WATERWAYS.

DEEP WATERWAYS.
Wealth to the Western Farmer L. A.
surcd by Its Completion.
For many years the work of creating
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 inter-lake
channels, all the immense and rapidly
increasing navigation converges to the
common eastern terminus ut 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 a
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 competi-
ton from those countries of
the world possessing cheap land
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 a 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 a view to decreasing the cost, it
is necessary to use the existing lakes
and river, with supplementary canals,
and to reduce the cost from Buffalo
east in some such ratio as has been Sc
cured in the upper lakes. An eminent
engineer, c. n. Dutton, who has given
the matter great deal of study, has
prepared the following statements and
figures, which l 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. Decp-water navigation
would effect an immediate reduc ton in freight
costs, and consequent increase in crop values
o. an average Of five cents q bushel on grain
and potatoes four dollars q ton on hay and
five dollars and upwards a ton on straw.
In the sixteen states most benefited. the
direct money gain computed on the crop re
ports of 1895. will be as follows:
YEARLY GAIN.
40. Gain at SC
eli hu nh m, k,f
Corn =. s,O,pOooJo $3.50. 1853 .ooo coal $4,000. 900
Wheat 1886 100000 1877 12l AZ 100000
Rye ...... 10000 esssoSe II 5000
Potatoes slooooo5 asess,s7s IS 10000
.aay..... 50 100000 s1sc5oseo ia .i7e,o.ooo
Annual gain on agricultr products s437 $50, 900
~Gain at "a q ton tGain at IS q ton.
DOMESTIC ANIMALS (MEAT.
Number Value. D. ct. Gain.
ti1lch cows s455.sl7 sls0.so5 es4 1s see $3.50, es4
k.eat cattle 1855 044 3O4. 40 652 - 5fsG3,S7
Sheep 49,. 10. 265 az a 5ss ~ "a 1000 l46
Gain in value Of meat animals 49,. STA. ia 99s
yearly gain one-third OF above..... 3s,0os,3 1888
1.-The sixteen states above referred to have
total area in improved farm lands of 1S9 326 $40
acres The increased value of the productions
OF these lands will be S465 900 annually, an
increased annual earning of s. 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
in value So 33a per acre. or 81 S66 900 coo
as the Immediate result of the opening Of the
Maritime canal OF North America.
VAST as this sum appears. 1t is a 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
nd
small grains, dairy products, poultry, eggs,
horses and mules, and wood, timber bark, etc;
neither does it take account of mine products
and manufa ctures, or the increase in values In
city and manufacturing property"
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
Manllato, is gathering data from Can
ada and the United States with a 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 a ton, are
not perceptibly affected by a slight diff
erence in freight. The farming dis
triets 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.
E. 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 nayiga-
4 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 a wide range
of 'public matters. AS chairman of the
executive committee, / respectfully re-
quest correspondence with commercial
bodies public officials and the papers.