The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-09-13
America Needs a
Business Awakening
By JAMES J.. HILL, President
Great Northern Railway

~ Great Nor+h.-, IT,. III
SEE no dangerous shoals ahead in the business and financial
situation, nor do 1 look for any sort of a business boom.
The country ought to be thankful if business moves along
~ in its PRESENT volume.
What is needed the country over is a great awakening,
a sort Of revival, in its business methods in domestic and foreign
trade and a different AND HIGHER commercial standard or moral
THIS GREAT AWAKENING WILL HAVE TO COME BEFORE We
ARE A WORLD POWER.
There is much to say on the general condition of business. There
are many favorable elements in the prospect and still more unfa-
vorabe features to be reckoned within the general estimate. We are
in a period of demagogy which breeds "pull," and "puIn in turn
promotes graft. There are too many quack political theories
WHICH CLASH WITH SOUND BUSINESS. We are a nation
OF so'ooo'ooo people + more, working and developing rich natural
resources. l complain, however, that we are making a poor lob of it
from a trade and business point Of view. The country is richer far
than England or Germany, and yet the fruits Of trading are exceed
ingly small compared with what they ought to be. 1t is all very we'll
to be content to swap %jackknNcs WITH ONE ANOTHER, but
what IS that but taking money out Of one pocket and putting it in
another?
Individual effort is restrained by political theorists and demagogue
leaders, Compare our efforts with those of Germany. There the
emperor himself is at the head, guiding and fostering commercial
development We arc falling behind in the procession, and FIVE O
ten years hence this country will deplorc the present policy of political
interference LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
We are dl1ydalying with South American trade and are irving
to ou1d the Panama canal. What good will come of it? We have
not the ships, and the freight rates to the east are against it. We
have not the protecting laws for a merchant marine. I myself have
recognized that condition and shall certainly never again build a shin
UNDER THE AMERICAN FLAG.
Ships can be built cheaper abroad and operated more successfully
IRON a commercial point of view under a foreign flag. There are too
many hampering influences on commerce from governmental and
individual quarters. -~~~:.~ .e:~~~ +.~
Last year the south raised a bumper crop of cotton, some say
100000 bales and others more. The year before there was a crop
failure, when less than 10000, 900 bales was raised in the cotton belt.
yet the crop gathered in the failure year netted the southern planter
$15O,00o,000 more than the record breaking crop of 1904. Why is
that? SIMPLY BECAUSE WE HAD NOT DEVELOPED OUR
OWN MARKETS. The great east, with its millions of people, ready
to take our goods, particularly the cotton goods, is Stunned and
tabooed to such an extent that it is cooperating against and boy
cotting American wares.
l do not want to appear pcssimistic, but 1 would like to se more
aggresslvencss on the part Of our merchants and some fostering care
which a national government ought to give to its commerce. Let us
have MORE COMMON SENSE and busincmlike methods in our
national administration. Let there he a business awakening. If there
is not, it will be found that, self satisfied as W 9 are now, we will fall
behind in the procession.
Our crops are none too good this year. We will not raise any
bumper crop Of wheat. I think that if the west raises more than
600,oOO00O bushels it will be doing well.
THE WORLD TODAY IS SMALLER THAN THE UNITED STATES
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR. TELEPHONE, TELEGRAPH AND CABLE
AND THE RAILROADS HAVE MADE IT SMALLER.