The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-10-14

side OF the Mississippi Valley, and the
prosperity Of the eastern manufactures
has in turn brought prosperity to the
eastern farmer. Uncle Sam has a great
deal Of land and great deal of water
| III the West. That land is arid, and
the water, which would make it pro.
ductive, is running to waste. The prop
osltlon Is to irrigate these great noun
tain valleys aud plains and build more
homes and make more markets.
The eastern manufacturer will sell
In the West, but the western farmer will
not sell III the East. except fruits and
things like that which will not compete
with the eastern farmer. This great
work will take time. 1t will require
many years to wet all that dry land,
but we will begin now and 60 along
carefully each year until the task is
done. Not many dams or new neighbour
hoods will be started before the business
men Of the East will have their travel
ing men in the West to sell goods. Think
Of this great home market; the whole
world wants to get into the United
States to sell things. but our home mar
ket is for ourselves first, to develop it
to the fullest extent.
Will Equalize Population.
The reclamation of arid America will
to great extent balance our one-sded
development. The eastern half Of the
United States to-day has a population
OF over 7O,OOO,OOO, while the western
half contains somewhere in the neigh
borhood of G,OOOOOO, or less than 10
per cent. Of the whole. The new irriga-
ton law is working satisfactorily. The
country was fortunate in finding bur-
eau of the government already equipped
to take up the question Of surveys and
construction Immediately. This is one of
the greatest pieces Of work which has
ever come before this government. The
dams, bitches and weirs to be construct
ed will be the greatest in the world.
They will stand not for generations, but
for centuries and contribute to the we'll
being Of hundreds of millions of people.
Arid America will contain by far the
greatest irrigated area Of any country
in the world.
Vast Oriental Commerce.
On the other hand no person at all con-
versant with current affairs can doubt
the great future of the t>Jrient. The
lands that border upon the Pacific Ocean
contain nearly one-half the total popu-
lation of the globe. Because of made
quate transportation facilities upon the
land, the people are more dependent than
" estern nations upon maritime COM
merce. The Orient! What magic in the
name. The fabulous storehouse of mys-
terry. wealth. art, religion. When Amer
lea was undiscovered, England the home
Of rude savages, Greece and Rome I'M
heard Of in the dim, dark ages of mys-
Licism, before the dawn of history, lived |
and tlourished the wonderful Orient, the |
far East, the islands beyond the sea.
China defes the world in age, popula-
lion and industry. If all the inhabitants |
If the world were stood up in one line,
every fourth man would be Chinaman.
The Pacific Ocean, which has for GEN.
:uries been washing the shores Of our
western boundaries, has said to us:
Here lies the East; this is the way to
India" But it has spoken into dumb |
ears. We heard but we needed not. |
others have taken warning that the |
great commercial development of the
future lies upon the broad Pacific and |
nave inaugurated new lines Of transport
alton and enlarged the capacity Of those
llready formed. Last year Japan,
China, Korea, Hong Kong and the Rus
'ian possessions fronting the Pacific
Ocean did business with the outside |
world amounting to 100000. 900; fully
Of this was imports. During
he year this country bought from them
worth Of goods. and only
'old to them little over $5O,OOO,OOO.
Peaceful Conquest Of China.
The Empire Of China will soon be
opened In all parts to the commerce Of
he world, and it becomes a question of
he share this country may secure in
he face Of existing competition. The
purpose Of establishing Oriental trade is
to secure market for the
commodities of the east
'rn States and the agricultural products
# the Mississippi Valley, but these alone
yill not make cargoes for the Pacific
steamers.
1t is essential, in order to support
tea mship lines, that practically I'M
limited supply of bulky freight be avail
Ible for transportation. Cotton, wheat,
md -four in this instance must be relied
lpon. The cotton will be furnished by
he southern States, and will bear the
reight charges to ports of shipment,
tut the less valuable breadstuffs must be
,rown lu the slopes of the continental
livide and the Pacific in order to COM
'ete in price with other grain-growing
The fertile mountain valleys
will produce grain in any desired guam
ity IL the ground is irrigated. A situa
ion is thus presented which makes the
uccess Of an Oriental trade, Of any con-
iderable volume, dependent almost sole
y upon the reclamation of the arid
ands.
Will Benefit Farmers Most.
The American farmer will DO the
hief, the prominent gamer by the open
ne up Of this vast section to trade and
ommerce. For there are limita tons to
oriental agricultural resources. As the
Asiatics become learned in scientific
griculture, adopt modern methods and
Increase the working efficiency Of the in
ividual. the discrepancy in the price
I labor will diminish. At present, under