The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-15
J. J. HILL AND HIS PLAN.
Moorhead Daily News.

Moorhead Daily News
While in st. Paul on Monday the editor
of the News called upon James j. Hill
and was politely given an audience. II
was the first time we had ever conversed
with the great railroad president We adt
NIT to having harbored in the past more
or less prejudice against Mr.. Hill. We
have never doubted his great abb ties,
but have not given him credit for o-sin-
terested motives or of possessing the
phiianthropic spirit. We were desirous
Of talking with the great man. face ia
face, for the purpose Of satisfying our.
self, If possible. whether or not he waa
animated alone by a never satisfied am
bition to increase his wealth, even though
he impoverished mankind. He talked
with US freely and gave US the salient
points that are embodied and exemplifled
at length in his speech delivered the next
day before the State Agricultural society.
He dwelt particularly upon his desire
to do something. and everything possible
TO put men in the way Of helping them
selves. He asserted that great deal Of
energy Is wasted because 1t Is not de
rected in the most intelligent manner,
illustrating this point by agricultural op-
perations and giving examples, as where
men planted certain product in soil
that was much better adapted to another
product. etc. This is true philanthropy,
and it impressed US with Mr.. Hills good
intentions.
His hobby, If 1t is not belittfing a great
undertaking in which are bound up I'M
mense and almost measureless possibili-
ties to call 1t by such a name, Is the de-
velopnent Of the carrying trade upon the
Pacific ocean. He believes that our wheat
can be introduced into China and japan,
and when once the Orientals begin to eat
it, market will be opened that will alb
sorb not only all our surplus, but would
call for many times as much. When we
suggested that q people whose earnings
are so small as those Of the Orientals
possess little capacity for buying our high
priced wheat as compared with rice, he
promptly answered that he had enter
tanned the same thought. but supposing,
he said, that they would buy one
cents worth of flour per day per capita;
that would mean for the 400,000,0 600 peo-
pie, $400O,0OO day, or 81, 46O.0O0,O00 year,
which is many times more than we have
to spare. Again, as was suggested by US
and assented to- the wealthy classes in
those Eastern countries are numerous,
and they certainly are able to buy our
flour. There Is meat in his reasoning, or
bread, which Is just as good.
Mr. Hill thinks the government should
encourage by subsidies the building OF
ships for the Pacific, but he believes the
bill introduced in the last congress and
again In this, Is not the right method.
Such a law, he thinks, would inure alone
to the benefit of ship owners. It would
encourage the building Of fast steamships
which would carry passengers-people
who want to make quick trip across tho
ocean to spend their money-and not as
sist In the remotest degree in increasing
the export of our surplus agricultural
products. He would give q subsidy or
bounty upon the products carried. He
SAYS that 1t is world recognized fact
that the cheapest carriers are the low
speed vessels The Lucanfa and Campa-
MIA, with 10000 horse power engines, have
speed of tWenty-one knots an hour
Engines of 1860 horse power would drive
them fourteen knots an hour, one-fourth
the power and two-thirds the speed. Such
a ship, with measured capacity of 1900
tons. could not possibly carry $500 tons
of agricultural products, and still under
the pending bilf would get an average
bonus of $1,000 a day. Mr.. Hill Is strong
ly opposed to this measure, and he seems
to have good reason for his opposition.
AS q matter of course Mr.. Hill sees IN
the increased traffic upon the Pacino
ocean, increased business for his railroad,
but If such increased commerce will bene-
fit the producers, 1t Is something they
should advocate, even If Mr.. Hill does de-
rive benefit. He would be fairly entitled
to 1t. We have long been an advocate
of and believer In a national policy that
would put the American flag upon the
masts of American vessels carrying our
products to other nations. There must be
something wrong somewhere. Our ship
ping coastwise and on the great lakes
is unequaled anywhere in the world. Why
can not we do more of the ocean carry
ing as we did forty years ago2