New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-28
SECRETARY SHAW GUEST.
Speech ON Commerce at Minnesota
Society Dinner.

Leslie NJ Shaw Secretary OF the Treasury was
the chief guest the annual dinner OF the Mime
sofa Society given last evening in the Astor Gal
lery Of the Waldorf-Astoria. 1t attended by
about hundred members OF the society their
friends and guests William r. Merriam, ex-GOv-
ernOr Of Minnesota and supervisor OF the last
sus. president of the society. was POSTMASTER
With him at the guests table Secretary Shaw.
Melville E. Stone. general manager OF The AssOci-
ated Press Congressman Charles A. TOwne. A B.
jackson. of Minneapolis; General Eugene Griffin
Viee-president of the General Electric Company OF
New-York and Alvin W. Krech first president OF
the society and one Of its organizers.
The society, which is three years old, has 265
members Of whom Dr. B. W. Bierbauer, Of Brook
lyn. is the only native born OF Minnesota The
others cherish the memories OF not less than three
years stay in the State.
Among those present were W. p CloySh presf
dent Of the Northern Securities Company; Thomas
n Cakes. ex-president Of the Northern Pacific:
T. w. WINTER president OF the Brooklyn Rapid
transit Company; F. d. Underwood president Of
the Erie Railroad and Francis F. McIver. one OF
the organizers of the society and chairman OF the
banquet committee
Secretary Shaw. who was the chief speaker. spoke
on commerce, and told his hearers that in the
future more attention must be paid To the exhibit
ing OF the countrys manufactured goods. He said:
We justly congratulate ourselves that the ba1a,o.
~ tIdSe III our FAVOR Is several fold larger than
equal to those Of the United KiT are anSut
larger than those of Germany and one and a half
M
ports are much less than those OF either Great
HrlIaln or Germany and about the same as those
OF France. - eA'OS0
To our enormous volume of exports the Missis
suppl valley and the cotton States have always con
trIbuted in largest measure. We grow threefOrrths
or the cotton of the world and IL reouiras ~
travelling salesman To dispose Of surplus The
world needs II and comes after IL and Is yvfIitr-
TO furnish the ships II harvest should fau ~
follow seed time Tor six consecutive mODtho tbo
world would starve; therefore it requires no fcregn
agent to sell the surplus produced in the BIssis-
sIppi Valley.
Now, in the days of Joseph the hungry ones %
earth go in their own convey anCes land tbot
mas corn to sell thus FAR American foreign COM
merce has been developed with very UttIe efTort
The world has brought its wares to our doors ana
urged them upon US, and has come, and stnl comes
back Tor cur surplus cotton and food products
but these conditions viii not always last For
many years We have exported about 10 per cent ~
unue indefinitely. Our population will very soon in
crease relatively faster than new lands rar he
brought under cultivation the prOduCtiyeness
OF our soil increased. Under favorable cOnditiOns
this will work very greatly 20 the advantage Of the
agricultural states, but this increasing nOnuIa
ton must md employment IL they are to eat bread
One OF the problems, therefore for tbe fOCd
growing belt Is TO furnish employment 20 fboS.
who only consume food. These Increasing U,liiiOnS
will not seek and II they do they will MOI ana Srn
factories II they are 20 DO beneficial 10 thoae who
do occupy farms; they must md emplOvmenf IN Fac
tories for foreign markets for factory Droi,icts
must be found. The world never has ana never
VIII send after manufactured goods. as il sends
Tor FOOD ana raw cotton
II will require statesmen. foreign agents foro,VD
warehouses and a merchant marine 20 disDOxo ~
our surplus OF manufactures. We will NOT olUTaVs
sell 80 per cent OF our surplus 70 Great Prffain
bEaees and Germany and Guy only y pAr cant *