The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-12-05
Living Issues.
.DDREss OF WORTHY MASTER
AARON JONES
tn the Thirty Third Session of the
National Grange,

If utmost concern to private and pub
liz geltare. There was in the United
States 1874 482 miles of railway June
20 1897. valued at $40 635 OSS, O74 Toe
osrniogs Of she railways in the United
Z stes TO- the year ending June 80.
1897. IA reported 81 122 O69 600
TINS vast system Of railways was
builg by authority OF franchises gran
ted by the United States and the sew
era States. In the case Of toe North
eru acd Central Pacific railway, large
donations Of land Rnd the loan Of the
n~stioo's credit was also given, and in
many other cases large donations we're
made BY cities, townships and counties.
the franchises give these corporations
power to condemn private lands, to
mass through farms, villages and cities,
destroying homes In country and in
cities. st prices fixed by disinserested
s9praisers, virtually by the State.
Tai5 saver was granted Co them on the
broad principe mot these highways
were lee ssarv for the public welfare.
T. .a-r OR advanced ciYItIz alton this
il .fle. pu5 T. Il Gisu true SEat private
s-a lu0.Ic ne!taro demands that these
roads De so managel as not TO Cypress
the people or make discriminating
cr.rgas De5wCen CIsizans or localities
il .ruizh5 ami passenger rates, but
Should give II ali citizens the came
ssa Ics for tie sane money, aod that
this servIce saould De reasonable : i
jus. 10 shipper ans carrier. When so
ma-asod, r8iIway s are Of in~calculable
g~asau-are TO the snIiEe country. Are
Iha5, q have they been so mansged9
OK vast sea coast, our river naviga
ION and u great lakes have in ser
Vie do3umenged and undocumsnted
vessels exceeding eight million ton
Esg5. Nearly four million of this ton
mage il IN service on the Mississippi
River and is tributaries. On the
great chain OF lakes extending from
Minnesota 90 New York State sail more
s1ips man enter the port of Liverpool
or lo0don. More than double the
freight passes through Saul5 Ste
Marie in eight months that passes
through the great Sus z canal in a year.
Lsss year 1913, 600 coo tons Of freight
passed through Saul5 Ste. Marie.
Oar coaetwIse traffic is Of the same
gigantic proportions. 1t has b en-
demonstrated that water t~ransporte-
ton "a much cheaper than by rail.
Ga long distances freight can be car
rted By steam Tor o quarter, and By
s-iL Tor one seventh the cost by rail
l. view OF these facts should not our
order favor the Improvement Of our
haTOcfs on sea and lake and
X p cur rivers free from all
obsEructIOns that interfere with
Iavigation7 Our rivers and
lakes are worth billions of dollars to
ths American people. 1 recommend
tl2t III order favor and insist upon
tie construction bg a Unised Stats
Of chip canal from the Great Lakes
to the Atlantic Ocean and also a deeg
water Eay connecting the Mississippi
River u with the Great Lakes
Iaese great arteries OF commerce
would be worth many times their cost.
and would afford the cheapest tr ans
Portation known and would be a whole.
s1me check GA rail way charges. Such
water ways would save TO the farmer
over 5000. 900. 900 a year.
The Construction OF the Nicaragua
canal by the United States would bring
oaa~ Francisco, Columbia RIVER, Puget
62und and all sea port towns Ga our
Pacific coast line 10 600 miles nearer
Oy water to all our cities on the Allan,
Ha coast and Calf of Mexico, and the
deep waterway connecting the Missis
'ppl R YER, Great Lakes and Atlantic
O;ean would enable boats to deliver
carg2as from our Pacific coast to river
and lake ports and all along the line OF
The ahlp canal.
~re20nmsnd that the National
u'an2e continue to press their dem 'nds
lot Appropriate legislation on the fol
''H'as InO0r5auE matters:
F!r5s-Fcas delivery Of mail in the
'tfatastrtcsH; and that the service De
pae.j On the sane permanent footing
q IH7 delivery Of mail in the cities and
VA .aaa9DcoDgls5ion therefor be com
~'ls2-.ta =itl the benefits ana de
IAal' .lr zla service.
as4E-2 -3yldlas tos postal savings
5..s
-2.-s-3I5n;s N an8ad nant tt the
.11s1s 2r0vidiug Zoe me election
0t.t safes Senator'S by direct