Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-01


This contingency has doubtless con-
tributed to the strength of BURLINGTON
issues recently
Nice-President Morton OF the Santa
Fee railroad system believes that the Nj
caragua canal will prove injurious to the
mercantile and Misunderstanding interests
OF the interior portion of the United
states, even though it should greatly
benefit the extreme eastern and west
ern sections. Discussing the subject. he
said:
The Nicaragua canal will undoubted-
ly be built, and it will probably cost up-
ward of $300,000.000. This will be 81 per
capita for every man, woman and child
in the United States. 1t will very likely
take ten years to construct, and may in
time prove to be of great benefit to the
people living along the Atlantic and Pa
cific coasts. AS surely as it helps the
cities along the sea coast, just as surely
will it damage cities in the interior of
the country.
"A large share of the business now
done by Chicago. st. Louis and other
important inland cities with the Pacific
coast will be transferred to the mer-
chants and manufacturers located on the
low rates via the all-water route. owing
to the canal which will be built bytax-
ing the entire people of the country All
will pay the taxes, a few will get the
benefits, and many jobbers and manu-
facturers and other citizens of the in
terror will be damaged. There is no
doubt that New Orleans and other gulf
cities Will grow on account of the canal
but 1T will be at the expense Of Chicago,
st. Louis, Kansas City, and other similar
markets.
If l was a member of congress from
the great manufacturing section Of the
Mississippi valley l would study the
question of supporting the canal bill
very carefully before committing myself
to the proposition. 1t is bound to de-
stroy the opportunity the middle west
now enjoys to compete with the indus
tries of the east for the Pacific coast
trade. Take away the distribution ia
ciities and you kill the production.
Il can readily understand why the
Pacific coast wants the canal built, and
it is perfectly plain why the Atlantic
seaboard shipper wants it constructed
but 1 submit that the middle and west
ern states will not profit thereby and
that in case the canal is to be put through
ing from taxation on it's account all
those who live between the Allegheny
and the Rocky mountains and north of
the Mason and Dixon 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 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 trans
continental railroads will profit by the
growth Of that section to such a large
extent that it will more than offset the
Joss Of the haul overland. That section
Of the country is now growing rapidly
and, regardless Of the canal, will con-
tinue to prosper.
LAS I have said, the people of the Pa
cffic coast think they are going to be
benefited by the construction of the
canal There is little doubt about this,
although the merchants and manufac-
turers at San Francisco and Puget sound
points must not forget that it will be
just as far from the Pacific coast to Yo-
kohama and Honzong after the canal is
finished as it is now and much less dis
lance from New York, and that the mo-
ment the canal is open and ready for
business rates from the Atlantic sea-
board to points in the Orient will be
greatly reduced and at times will be as
low from New York as they will be from