The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-05-31
ON THE SEAS.
Where the Transportation Prob
lem Will be Fought Out.
James j. Hill Entertainingly Talks of The
Future ia The World of
Business.
Minneapolis Journal /:

the Sreat Northern, put the tramC
situation, in the comprehensive inter
view with which he favored The Jour
nal this morning.
sit is not a fight between this Sec
tion, or city, or road, or the other, .
continued Mr.. Hill, sat least so far as
l am concerned. 1t is big question
of traffic development; it is question
of commercial development and indus
trial development for the country at
large. Our competitor is not here,
not in New York, not in San Fran
cisco he is on the high seas. Our
fight is national, or rather, it is inter
national Our problem is to get hold
Of the commerce of the Pacific ocean
and bring it across the Pacific and
across the United States, instead of
allowing it to be diverted around the
globe via. the Suez canal and Cape
Horn. 5"
Then he had word to say regard
ing those who thought he was engaged
in a traffic fight Showed his hand
through his hair and striding quickly
across the room, he said in subdued
tone full of energy:
All l desire is to be let alone, to be
left in peace, and do what 1 can to
develop the country's commerce, I'M
hindered by petty jealousies and
ISLANDERS.
II do not expect to receive any
blessings for my labors during this
life, " said Mr.. Hill with a laugh.
But shall try to lay the foundations
of my work so Deep" he continued,
that when 1 pass from the scene it
will not be necessary for those who
follow to dig it all up and begin over
agan.'
Now, looking at it broadly, what
is the situation? What of our CONNER
cial future? Turn to our rate of popu-
lation growth. We are doubling every
thirty years. We have multiplied
more during the past thirtyfve years
than during the 800 preceding. From
the landing of the Mayfower down to
the close of the civil war we grew to
30, 900, 600; but since 1866 we have in
creased Al, 900, 00O At this rate during
the next thirty years we may grow to
$50, 900, 600.
"What shall we do with this popula-
ton? How many can we use in manu-
facturing2 We now employ less than
one-quarter At the most not over
one third, or 80, 900, 900, can be en-
ployed in manufactures, railroading,
trade and the professions. The bulk
of the remaining 100, 0O0 600 must go
to the land. Where will they go? Not
to New England with it's rocky and
unproductive hills. New England, to
use term in physics, is filed to the
'saturation' point. Nor will the south
take much of the increase, with the
exception of the Latin influx from
southern Europe. No. the great in
crease will be in the valleys of the
Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri and west
ward, the fertile prairies of the great
central west and beyond, wherever ir-
rigation is possible.
"Now, then, what will these 100,
600, 900 on the land of the west pro-
duce? Food, will they not? They will
produce the three great staples of
traffic-food, fuel and shelter-but
food in the main.
"Now, cross the Pacific and what dc
we ind2 Millions of people, and what
can they buy2 What can a man who
earns a shilling a day, and that is the
average wage of the orient, buy of us
Can he buy luxuries2 Can he buy any
great amount of manufactured goods
at all? No. He will buy only what
he is compelled to buy to sustain life.
He will do most of his own manufac
turing, after little. for labor with
him is cheap and plenty. He will
want of US onlyssthe simple staples, al
grain, provisions, raw cotton, etc.,
from which to weave his cloth, and
perhaps little lumber, coal and some
hand tools. But his principal demand
will be for food-just the products
which the present coming population
of America great central and western
zone is prepared to furnish.
$50 here we have big traffic pro.
position-to place the great surplus
staples of central and western America
at the door of the orient, and bring
back from the latter anything we car
use. The future has in store for us
along this line vast commerce.
1.-THE next question is: How shall
it be handled by what route shall il
go2 Shall America handle it, OF
Europe2 Will it go by the Pacific OF
by the Suez and Horn2 L hope that
America will handle it, and by the
Pacific. Geography and nature de-
clare it and trade cannot resist them. -
Mr.. Hill then brought out from a
stack of ALIASES number of maps
giving ocean distances; showing that
Puget sound, by the great meridian
circles, is the short cut for commerce,
not only with Japan and northern
China, but with Manila and the entire
Pacific coast of Asia.
''We come now," said Mr.. HILL ste
your question regarding the Burling-
ton and the resources of the Burling-
ton territory. The Burlington has food
and fuel to degree not possessed by
any other transportation system.
Reaching from Chicago to Denver,
and from the twin cities to st. Louis
and Kansas City, it covers the richest
and most diversified zone in the world
in the production of grain and provi.
sions and fuel. Now, what do these
central prairies of Illinois, Iowa, Mis-
souri, and Nebraska renuire in return