Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-03
Paul Morton Thinks it's Not a Good
Thing.
IT WILL lNJURE INTERIOR TOWNS
Says Business Now Transacted in Chi
caso, st. Louis and Other Important
Towns Will Be Transferred to Sea
Coast Cities.

lNlCcl aqua SdAdl VIII pIOHG
to the mercantile and manufacturing
interests of the interior portion of the
United States, even tho it should
greatly benefit the extreme eastern
and western sections. Discussing the
subject yesterday he said:
The Nicaragua canal will undoubt-
eddy be built, and it will probably cost
upward of $30O,U0O,00O. This will be
81 per capita for every man, woman
and child in the United States. 1t
will very likely take ten years to con-
struct and may in time prove to be of
great benefit to the people living along
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. AS
surely as it helps the cities along the
sea coast, just as surely will it dam
age cities in the interior of the coun-
try.
"a large share of the business now
done by Chicago, ST. Louis and other
important inland cities with the Pa
cific coast will be transferred to the
merchants and manufacturers located
on the Atlantic coast. They will Sc
cure very low rates via the all-water
route, owing to the canal, which will
be built by taxing the entire people of
the country. All will pay taxes, few
will get the benefits, and many joD-
bers and manufacturers and other cit
liens of the interior will be damaged.
There is no doubt that New Orleans
and other gulf cities will grow on ac-
count of the canal, but it will be at
the expense of Chicago, st. Louis,
Kansas City and other similar mar
kets.
If were memberof congress from
the great manufacturing section of the
Mississippi valley l would study the
question of supporting the canal bill
very carefully before committing N.Y.
self to the proposition. 1t is bound to
destroy the opportunity the middle
west now enjoys to compete with the
Industries of the east for the Pacific
coast trade. Take away the distribu-
ton facilities and you kill the produc-
ton.
Il can readily understand why the
Pacific coast wants the canal built,
and it is perfectly plain why the At
lantic seaboard shipper wants it con-
structed, but submit that the Middle
and Western states will not profit
thereby and that in case the canal is
to be put thru some way should be de-
yised for eXempting from taxation on
its account all those who live between
the Allegheny and the Rocky noun
tains and north of the Mason and Dix
on line. 1t will be punishment enough
for that portion of the population of
the United States to be deprived Of a
trade advantage that they now enjoy
on the Pacific coast without paying a
large part of what it costs to take
away the advantage.
1T is claimed that the construction
of the canal will help the Pacific coast
a great deal-so much so that the
railroads will profit
by the growth of that section to such
a large extent that it will more than
offset the loss of haul overland. That
section Of the country is now growing
rapidly and, regardless of the canal,
Will continue to prosper.
AS have said, the people of the Pa
cific coast think they are going to be
benefited by the construction of the
canal. There is little doubt about
this, altho the merchants and manu-
facturers at San Francisco and Puget
sound points must not forget that it
will be just SO far from the Pacific
coast to Yokohama and Hong-Kong
after the canal is finished as it is now
and much less distance from New
York, and that the moment the canal
is open and ready for business rates
from the Atlantic seaboard to points
in the Orient will be greatly reduced
and at times will be as low from New
York as they will be from San Fran
cisco. This will prevent the Pacific
coast from doing the business in the
Orient that it aspires to do. The Pa
cific coast will be to considerable
degree, in the same position relative
ly to New York for Oriental trade that
the interior will be with New York
for Pacific coast trade.
1T seems to me that the Nicaragua
canal bill should be entitled: An
Act to Build Up and Foster the Com
merce of the Cities Along the Allan
tic Sea Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.
These places are certainly going to be
the chief beneficiaries, altho foreign
shipowners-over rs per cent of all
the business that will pass thru the
canal estimated bottoms-will come
for very large benefit from the con-
struction of the canal by American
capital"