The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-21
HILL DISCUSSES
ORIENTAL TRADE
incidentally States His Position
on the lsthmian Canal.
WILL PUT NOTHING IN WAY
The Railroad Magnate Says, However,
That the Money Could BE Better
Invested BY Improving the
Mississippi River.

ST. Paul, August 20.-President j. J.
Hill of the Northern Securities company
addressed the Trans-Mississippi CONNER
cial congress this evening on Our Trade
With the Orient" a topic on which he
has come to be regarded as one of the
authorities.
He sketched briefly the trade of the
orient and the various movements di-
rected towards securing it in times past.
From the opening Of Japan to foreign
trade with that country trade has in
creased tenfold. The population of the
orient with which we might trade con-
stitutes about one-half the population Of
the earth. He discussed the prospective
trade with the Chinese people, whom he
regarded as more enterprising and better
business men than the Japanese. He paid
a high tribute to the Chinese. saying no
people on earth could drive an intelligent
Chinaman out of a commercial PROPOSE
tion. Lack of adequate transportation IA
ci1lties greatly binders trade. Our trade
there is capable of infinite development.
All the European countries go across two
oceans to reach that trade, which they
one.
Development In Trade.
He gave briefly an idea Of the great de-
velopment OF our trade there In recent
years. The first American cotton went to
Japan and China six years ago, lack Of
transportation having previously pre-
vented it's use. The shipment of cotton
has constantly and greatly increased
every year since, and now his road had
been compelled to refuse orders for as
much as 10000 bales Of cotton one month
before for lack of shipping facilities. The
shortest and cheapest route from the cot
ton fields to the orient is by way Of Puget
sound. He told in some details of the
plans now under way to handle this
growing traffic. AS low rates can be
given across the Pacific ocean from any
point in the United States as they now
have from New York via the Suez canal.
Discusses IsthmIan Canal.
Speaking of the proposed isthmian ship
canal, Mr. Hill declared he would not
lay a straw in the way Of Its construc-
ton at any expense Of some $500 200,
but In his opinion thirty to forty million
spent In deepening the channel of the
Mississippi between New Orleans and st.
Louis would give far better results in the
end AS to money spent on the improve
ment of the upper water of tho same
river, he thought 1t would be much bet
ter invested in irrigating the arid regions
of the great west. The railroads were
not In the habit of taking into consid-
Grafton river rates north of st. Louis in
fixing their railroad rates, for the reason
that the river business in that section
was comparatively small and of little
value He suggested that for irrigation
it would be the best plan for the govern
ment to irrigate and develop one thousand
acres of land at a probable expense of
five or ten dollars an acre then sell 1t
from SIS to $40 an acre, thereby creating
a fund from which to carry on further
irrigation schemes without any expense
beyond that first involved.
Farm Products First.
In discussing the trade which the rail-
roads and steamship lines would be best
able to carry to the orient he argued
that that which brought speediest retail
iation would be the most profitable in
vestment, insisting that chief attention
should be had to the farm products
throughout the entire western country
and that 1t would prove to be very poor
policy to depend on the development of
slower manufacturing enterprises or on
the less sure mining wealth of the west.
The railroads wanted products which
would make haul for them both ways,
thereby making possible lower rates on
what was hauled.
Norman G.. Kittre1I, Houston, Tex, fol-
lowed with an address on Texas and her
deep water ports.