Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-10-31

same as by water proves that deep
water is, so far, no benefit to Gal
weston in lowered freight rates.
The rate from New York by wa
ter, bs sed on the cost of transit,
should be only one-twenty-sixth OF
the cost by rail. The Mallory
line is a member of the south
western traffic association, which
is dominated by eastern roads, and
the Mallory rate is therefore what
the eastern roads dictate.
Distance declares that every
bushel of wheat, corn, cotton and
other products shipped from the
great western grain states should
go to the port of Galveston, and it
will as soon as the railway dis
examinations cease-and they will
never cease until the water COM
petition forces the roads to be len
lent. If Galveston wants here
great city, the New York of the
west, which it can easily be, let
her millionaires put on some COM
petitive steamship lines and COM
pei water rate such as the other
seaport cities have. Then all
groceries, dry goods and other
merchandise sold to retailers in
Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Ok
lahoma and Arkansas will be dis
tributed from here by Galveston
wholesalers.
Another thing: Nearly all our
exports of cotton and grain are
now going to Liverpool and En-
glish merchants are distributing
them to the world and getting
profit for doing it. Our best
market is in the west and south
and we should export direct to
the consumer and import direct the
goods we take in return. The
countries of Asia and the west sell
US s27S, 100000 of goods, while
they buy of US only s2S, 900, 900.
They buy far more than this. but
buy it from the British middle
man instead of direct from the
south and west countries with
which we trade. All except Aus
tralia has yearly balances of trade
against us. We get gold for ex-
ports to England, Germany and
France, over $3.50, 100000 a year
for products, only to transfer it in
payment of balances with the
countries which sell US our sugar,
rice, coffee and spices. When We
trade direct the profits of the
British middleman will go to the
American exporter and to the
American farmer.
"To do this our products must
60 out of southern instead of east
ern points, and be carried in
American instead of British ships.
When our own ships carry but s
per cent of our exports and 13 per
cent of our imports, it is little
wonder that the chief carrier-Eng-
land-stops these exports in En-
glish warehouses and makes Brit
ons the distributors of our surplus
fixes the price to US, in the deal.
Commerce must go through
southern ports-and all the west
wants it to, but to change the
trend is a gigantic task. The rail-
way transportation rate is the first
big obstacle to be removed. To
remove this means utility of deep
water at Galveston. Until it is
removed the expenditures for deep
water here are lost, as far as bene-
fits to the people go. The con-
gress which appropriated Sc ,2O0,-
600 to make a port should now see
whether the railroads can so pool
tariffs as to deprive the people of
the vast savings in transportation
this deep water ought to bring.
I'm the meantime it bebooves
the west to see if it cannot choke
off corporation greed so that it may
have the benefits of proximity to
the southern habors-to see if
things have come to such a pass
that railroads can force a haul of
LOO miles when one of 600 miles
can reach deep water.
Galveston can depend on Ok
lahoma in this fight for cheaper
transportation and closer outlet.
We have a rich country, marvellous
in the rapidity of its development,
and we know if justice in freight
rates can be had, deep water at
Galveston will add quarter of a
dollars TO our annual
crops"