The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-08

the foreign trade figures, because SO per
cent Of our manufactures are consumed
tat home. ~ @Arf.# %9,ag. =
The protective tariff policy to which this
nation has been committed for forty years
now, to say nothing of periodical attach
ments to it since the time Of Alexander
Hamilton has held this great American
domestic market, by far the best in the
world. for the American producer. Secure
in this stronghold, the American manu-
facturer, when times are bit dull at
home, can sally forth and unload the sur
plus on other nations at prices that defy
competition, while the consumer at home
continues to pay regular rates. OF course,
there are two sides to this fact. While it
tickles national pride to think Of our COM
mercial barons going forth to raid and
harry the world, it doesn't tickle us, as
consumers, to see the foreigners getting
the low prices that are denied to the
Americans who support the barons, often
through excessive prices.
But what we are interested in discuss
ing at this time is the Importance to the
home producer of a great home market,
and, consequently, of anything that tends
to extend the market. The national irri-
cation work. now just beginning, is likely
to be very potent in charging the home
market. 1t will provide homes where none
were thought possible. 1t will densely
populate present wildernesses. It will
largely increase the number of the pros
porous producing, and, therefore, consum-
ing, people Of the United States 1t will
raise up within American territory large
communities Of persons of high standard
of living, few of whom, as buyers, are
worth, thousands of Asiatics.
Take the st. Mary's Lake project in
Montana, which is now certain to be COM
pleted within a comparatively few years.
1t will put water on 10000 acres of land
that are by no means barren without wa
ter, but will be reliably and bountifully
productive with it. That 1000, 900 acres
will probably be divided into $4,000 farms,
which means a rural population Of at
least 100000. This population will sup
port as many more in adjacent villages
and towns. So that this single irrigation
project, which covers only a hundredth
part of the area that it is possible to re-
deem, will create market equal to that
of North Dakota few years ago. or to
that Of the city of Minneapolis at the
present time. This particular project
is no vision of the distant future. Its
realization will soon begin. No business
man needs to be reminded Of the value,
directly to some sort of business, indi-
Irectly to others, of an addition Of pop
ulation of a quarter. of a million to Mon
tana-doubling the population and con-
Stunning capacity of that state; equal to
an addition Of about Is per cent to the
present population of Minnesota and to
q a much larger addition to the consuming
1power, as increase of population in a new
region means Increased wealth in proper
ton, which it does not in an old region.
How much manufacturers all over the
country appreciate the prospective in
crease of trade through the new markets
Irrigation will give, is shown by the great
interest they take in the National Irriga-
ton association and the large numbers
Of them that belong to it.