The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-09-29

interest OF politicians. then the history o.
railroad rates In this country as com
pared with those charged anywhere els,
ductions down to the present time. ocn
stitute sufficient contradiction.
Mileage Tariff.
The government cannot discriminate
;tp nst%een ports or places, 1t must is dea,
hand with ALL Therefore. it would be
oDllged. sooner or later to ordain a strict
distance tariff; that is. the charge Tor
apportloned to the number of miles In
the haul The low charge for the long
naui would disappear. and freight would
| pay a mileage tariff. Now to some that
would make little difference; but you
here in M:anesota. in the center of the
contlhent. distant from 1.oo to 100
| miles from all the great markets, about
WhofA big circle might be described ana
nave its circumference sweep along the
coasts of the ATLANTIC and the Pacific
and the gulf OF Mexco-you would be
the most heavily tariffed people in the
world When men ask for your support
OF or, demand your praise on any sucn
| grounds as these, it will be well for you
70 bring them to the challenge of the
facts and of common sense.
! linen, as to the markets In which you
| puy. How are you situated there, and
what advantage do you owe to those who
nave settled your conditions? 1t would
! seem evident to most people that sys-
| tenn winch permits the same article that
you must have for your household or
| your farm to be carried abroad over
| thousands of miles of ocean and sold In
frm to 30 80 per- per cent less pG9 than the the price
| that Is charged to you is not in YOU in
terest 1t is because of that system nat
we pay annually an unknown amount or
uneafned proht on a total OF some TWEEN
ty-hVe billions of dollars which is the
estimated volume of our domestic trade;
that is, the buying and selling that goes
that and in order that it may not be
changed by the fraction of a hair that
now to reach $5o,UO0oo annually, and to
require the imposition of other taxes,
such as you have never heretofore con-
sented to pay save in time of war and
as a part of the sacrifices that 1t I'M
poses Is this to your satisfaction, and Is
this, the form of service that Will call
forth your gratitude and receive your
continuing Endorsement?
Panama Canal.
Mr., Hill took up the subject OF the Pan
length. He argued that it could not DO
reiied on to supply new markets. He cited
me opinion of an expert, Mr.. Harold
Bolce OF the treasury department who
mad written an elaborate article taking
the same view. His argument was fCrti-
hed by statistics showing how small an
amount of our products the South Ameri-
can states could possibly use, He quoted
Mr. Boice az saying that if we could Sc
cure one-half the imports of Asia that
trafnc in one year would pay the cost Of
me canal and leave a balance of $780,
ooo,QOo. He expected the canal would be
made, but 1t would not bring market re-
suits.
scarcity of Lands and Irrigation.
He considered the growing scaAcity Of
agrlcultural lands and the defects in our
iand laws which allowed Spectators and
great combinations to secure millions OF
acres to the exclusion Of farmers He
hghly commended the national irrigation
movement saying the work now under
way would redeem 10000 600 acres and
ne had no doubt in the end many times
that amount.
Inc f1nal question Of all was securing
markets for our products he said
our exports of commodities the product
or agriculture for the year 1904 were
valued at 1888, ,643073. and were So 4s per
cent or all our exports Our exports OF
manutactured , articles were valued at
x4o2 Abs .921. or 1882 per cent of the whole
Ihe ratio is very nearly two to one More
over. the tendency is for the former to
increase while the latter decreases. In
the commercial war upon us which has al
ready heard the firing of the first gun. IL
is the manufactured article that will bo
banned by the severest prohibition. But
upon all that We have to sell the disad-
Vantage viii fall. Our statesmen assum-
ed that we alone could use a protective
TAR earim III TO aduantage, overlooking the very
slhipie process or other nations meeting |
one larlT with another. The rest of the |
world mas been wonderfully patient 1t |
mas n taken no notice until we began to be |
thought or not exactly as a dangerous |
competitor in manufactured commodities |
Tor we are not yet. but as a possible
one Then 1t took counsel, and the new
cta in,
where we shall find all Europe CONNER
cially banded against US What are we
ing to find our markets: and especially
the market for the immense product Of
our soil that will continue to be our main
resource and dependence
There are enough people within direct
reach of us in Asia to require our entire
annual wheat crop # each person con-
busheIs @ per annu e hE Sc 'moEnt have of otds two
that trade and prepared for it. We have
helped to build it up. and put millions OF
money into the greatest steamships that
ever sailed the seas to serve it. We did
these things In order that we might he
1bie TO make rate under which this
pie cannot pay. high transportation
charges they will buy in some other
market; and you cannot send wheat from
The interior of the United States across !
half the continent and the whole breadth
of the Pacific ocean If you have a big or
even a reasonable mileage charge.
w els we lldNe met with obstacles q | .
every step. not the obsta cIes that busy | |
men have right to expect and know
1oW to meet, such as the shrewdness OF .
competitors or the difficulty of conauerina
material things. but interference with
plans and regulations and rules and or /
lers that can serve no purpose except to c
make impossible the maintenance Of this s
leW market. These customers are out =
aged by. policy that insults their ma
iohal dignity and their personal self S
aspect until they determine to buy no ,
more or US These ships, instead Of meet
ng with reasona Bile encourag cement are G
lampered and tied down by regulations
Nhlch make it as costly as possible to
operate them. These rates which are
he essential parts OF the whole affair, E
ire destroyed by laws that put us at the
mercy or every foreign tramp that floats [
ne seas. And this, mind YOU not in ba- -
lalf or any home interest that might suf-
er. Tor these ocean rates do not concern e
ne domestic producer more than thew u
must be low enough to admit him to out
lde markets, but only to the ANNOYANCE K
nd detriment and discoura cement Of I
american foreign trade in the great
tapies that you help to produce and that
must continue to enter increa singlv into |
ur dealings with other peoples The TO-
al foreign commerce OF Japan and China
mounts to S75OOO0000 a year In round /,
umbers. 1t is destined to increase and
1uItlDlV at hat u,i,y | :