Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-08-16

What Will 9<attie Say 10 IMSs-niS FremiSeS
Do Not However. Bear Out His Assertion.
but Presase Grandeur for the Pacific Slope.
where the Great Entrepot Trade Center will
Surely be Built.
With only 100000 people at
present occupying the Pacific slope of
the United States west Of the Rocky
Mountains, President J. J. Hill of the
Great Northern system says that when
that slope shall have 20.OOO,OOO peo-
pie Chicago ought to be the largest
city in the world. He bases this in.
teresting possibility upon the fact that
76OOO, 900 people in the country are
supported more or less directly by
trade with Europe and Africa, with
their 400, ,O0O. 900 population.
"On the other hand" he says.
"there are thousand million people
off our western coast with whom we
should trade, aud yet we have only
100000 population to reach out for
it,"
He confesses to the handicap Of the
present coast country, but he is san.
guine Of the good time coming when
the United States shall dominate the
trade OF Asia. Mr.. Hill insists that
the building up of such . trade will
depend in great measure upon the de-
velopment Of the agricultural re-
sources Of the Pacific slope. To de-
velop this he says that government
aid in building irrigating canals will
be necessary. Grain and -four will be
prime articles Of export to the Orient,
and ct the present time rates are pro-
hibitory on these products of the mid
die wost.
Except for manufactured stuffs
and cotton, these exports will be grain
and four" said Mr.. Hill to q Chicago
Tribune correspondent, "and these
agricultural products must be grown
on the Pacific coast. For this purpose
we have . territory of 1000 miles
square, which, through centuries OF
aridity, have become vast nitrate beds,
needing only water to make them the
most productive spots in the world.
There is water enough for the purpose
melting from the mountain SHOWS; all
that is needed is the canal system.
"The execution Of this work is the
one thing needed to give to the United
States the domination Of the Pacific
ocean commerce aud the supremacy OF
the worlds trade. Without it, prog
ress will be slow because, unless there
lie an abundant supply of food products
always available at shipping ports, IL
will be impossible to insure full car
goes and quick dispatch to the vessels
of large capacity, which alone can be
proftably employed in the trade.
Every business interest which hopes
to benefit by participation in the
trade Of the Pacific ocean must be in
favor Of the reclamation Of the great
mountain valleys for the occupation
of agricultural workers. If successful
in the advocacy of this public i'm.
provement full rewards will come in
the shape of new markets in the ORR
ent, and it will be found additionally
that the settlement of the western
mountain region has developed local
market richer in natural resources
than any other portion Of the earth's
surface.
There, where the soil under irriga-
ton will grow the best quality and
greatest quantity of all the grains, ex-
cept corn. all the grasses and fruits,
the ground is scanned with deposits of
gold, silver, copper, lead, iron and
coal. There is the largest supply Of
standing timber, and petroleum and
natural gas abound. Under the influ-
ence of the dry atmosphere and con-
slant sunshine good health prevails,
and the melted snow in falling to the
sea level creates q water power avail
able for electric heat, light and motor
service, equivalent in energy to the