Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-06-28

Tuder upon the range of the large operator. All these opposing el-
mens united, seemed TO absolutely forbid hope of securing aid from the
Government. But in passing ten years have witnessed wonderful
changes. Within that time the family of States has been increased from
thrtyeight to fory-fve and fourteen senator's from the arid and semi
arid land states have been admitted to the upper branch of the national
congress. Three territories in the same section re now claiming adj
mission into the Union on meitorious grounds About one.tbird Of tbe
whole membership of the United States senate comes from states d.
rectly interested in this great question. This membership can exert a
commanding influence in behalf of any object for which it stands united.
The power to do is now fairly secure. Under old conditions united ac-
ton would have been quite impossible but conditions have been radically
changed and are now in course of rapid change.
Dnring the last eighteen months this nation has been aroused to the
consciousness OF a new intellectual. commercial and industrial life. An
unsought and an unwelcomed foreign war was in the providence of God
thrust upon us while we were engaged in an effort to cmancipate our
selves from the thmldom of a long series of business Affections. The
north. the east, the west. the south. at once became the United States.
and every state stood ready and anxious to fight the nations battles on
land or sea.
That war and its glorious achievements may now he utilized by the his
toran to illuminate another splendid chapter in American history. TO
ITS lessons and responsibilities we are TO address ourselves. and the match
less opportunities it has opened up we must and will improve. Before the
Spanish war our commercial destiny seemed limited to this hemisphere
and the markets of Europe. We were little more than passive observers
of the mighty struggle of the European powers for control of the cnor-
nous commerce of Asia. We had apparently settled down to yield TO
foreign merchants a profit on all our productions forwarded to Asatic
as well as to other alien ports. The fates for the time seemed TO decree
that this great nation should produce the wealth IN which the worlds
traders were to grow rich through commissions so large that our profits
could be hut small. The most casual observer cannot fail to note the
remarkable change in our national purposes and current of thought.
This whole country west of the Missouri is now looking with conf
dence from the surplus ridden markets of Europe with its two hundred
ard fifty millions of people to the awakening markets of the Orient with
seven hundred and fifty millions of population to supply. From our
western coast the body of that market is reached within five thousand
miles over an open ocean in the temperate zone, whereas the same point
is eleven thousand miles distant from Iiverpoolby water course extend
ing through the Suez canal and the torid climate of the gulf of Alden.
The people of China, Japan. Corca and the Philippine Islands are on an
average within five thousand miles of our western coast. Their markets
are naturally ours. We behold England, France, Germany, Russia, Italy
and many smaller European states actively moving around the globe to
exercise such control as they can over these markets 81 comparatively
near our shores. The people of this country understand the situation
fairly well-they have had some object lessons lately. Last year we
shipped to China, Japan and Corea over six hundred thousand barrels
of flour which is but an entering wedge to mighty trade in that staple.
This year I am informed our -four shipments will reach two million four
hundred thousand barrels if ships can he found TO meet the demands for
transportation. This will take,twelye million bushels of wheat out of
efrS Sniears Hf h l He sH4t7 th Hz aEs : 2%5 m7T 5 7ra and DID TSermI IT@I the nP price
sitnns ar made to meet the demand. This growing and practically I'M
limited market west of the Pacific ocean for the agricultural products of
the arid land states certainly removes the opposition of eastern farmers
to the reclamation of our arid lands figure from observation and
such data as Government investigations supply that twelve millions
of the ninety odd millions of acres of Montana soil can be irrigated by a
comprehensive irrigation system, leaving over eighty million acres for
mountainous, timhered and grazing lands. The twelve million acres
irrigated land would if all sown to wheat produce three hundred and
sixty million bushels of wheat annually which at current prices would
yield an income to our farmers aggregating about three times the total
existing income of the people of Montana from all sources, besides leav-
ing in stubble, chaf and straw more feed for stock than the same acre
age of arid land now produces. Heretofore we have had only a limited
local market for wheat and not long ago it was raised chiefly for chicken
feed, shipment east being impracticable because of the long haul by rail
and consequent high traffic charges. What has been said of wheat a-
plies with force to nearly all products of the farm. If we should raise
and feed stock exclusively our twelve million irrigated acres would pro-
duce sixty million tons of alfalfa. certainly worth for winter feed four
dollars per ton or two hundred and forty million dollars. We now have
in the state about one million head Of cattle and from beef sales we re
ceive about ten million dollars annually. From our three and a half
million sheep we obtain annually on sales of wool and mutton about
five million dollars Or an aggregate of fifteen millions per annum from
these chief sources 81 revenue to the ranchmen. Yet with these com
rarahvely limite2 stock interests we hear the ranges re overstocked, the
winter feed poor and taxes burdensome and still increasing. With our
irrigable lands reclaimed and our eghty-four million acres of pasture
above the canals and reservoirs, used only for summer range, who can
compute our capacity for grain growing and stock raising? We live in
the best watered drainage basin in the United States if not the best Of
equal extent on the globe. We are commanded by our every interest 10
unite to bring about the most enlightened possible development of our
bountiul resources at the earliest practicable date, and to that end I
ask your earnest cooperation as an association and likewise as individuals.
Give the delegation in Congress from Montana the potent force Of a
united and active constituency speaking through town meetings, conven-
tons and public press in favor Of the prompt construction by the National
Government of the requisite canals and reservoirs for the diversion and
storage of the waters which now leave our desert lands to become a de-
stroying force in the states below us.
Our country is entering upon an era Of progress for which warrant no
precedent will be found even in our own astonishing history. Our
wonderful railroad system has been extended into every centre of pro-
ductve industry in the country. We can quickly push surplus products
of every kind to the sea board but there we find ourselves without ships
of our own to take the cargoes to foreign ports. We are like unto the
farmer who after raising a crop would hire a drayman to haul it to
town and thereby surrender the bulk Of the profit to the mn with the
dray.
Substantially, all the products of every farm, mine and factory in the
United States sent abroad in the last forty years have been carried in