River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-09-28

eminent, ana subject the fortunes Of
thirteen billions of capital, of millions
of employees and tens of millions or
interest of politicians, then the history
of railroad rates in this country as
compared with those charged anywhere
reductions down to the present time,
constitute a sufficient contradiction.
Mileage Tariff.
The government cannot discriminate
with an absolutely equal and impartial
hand with all. Therefore, it would be
obliged, sooner or later. to obtain a
for carrying commodities would have. to
be apportioned to the number OF miles
in the haul. The low charge for the
long haul would disappear, and freight
would pay mileage tariff. Now to
some that would make little difference;
but you here in Minnesota, in the cen
ter of the continent, distant from 1900
to 1000 miles from all the great mar
kets, about whom big circle might be
sweep along the coasts of the Atlantic
and the Pacific and the gulf of Mexico
you would be the most heavily tar
ask for your support or demand your
praise on any such grounds as these, 1t
will be well for you to bring them to
the challenge of the facts and of COM
mon sense.
Then, as to the markets in which you
buy. How are you situated there, and
what advantage do you owe to those
who have settled your conditions? 1t
would seem evident to most people that
a system which permits the same arti-
Gle that you must have for your house
hold or your farm to be carried abroad
over thousands of miles of ocean and
where from to SO per cent less than
the price that is charged to you is not
in your interest. 1t is because of that
system that we pay annually an un-
known Tr0ff n
total of some twenty-five billions of
dollars which is the estimated volume
ing and selling that goes on among our
selves. 1t is because of that and in
order that it may not be changed by
the fraction of a hair that the treas
ury deficit grows and promises now to
reach $50.00O,00O annually, and to re-
quire the imposition. of other taxes, such
to pay save in time of war and as a
part of the sacrifices that it imposes
Is this to your satisfaction, and is this
the form of service that will call forth
your gratitude and receive your continu-
ing Endorsement?
Panama Canal.
Mr.. Hill took up the subject OF the
Panama Canal, treating it at consider
able length. He argued that it could
not be relied on to supply new markets
and cited the opinion of an expert. Mr..
Harold Boice of the treasury depart
ment, who had written an elaborate ar
ticle. taking the same view. His argu-
ment was fortified by statistics showing
the south south american states sc could pos.
sibly use. He quoted Mr. Boice as say
ing that if we could secure one-half the
would pay the cost of the canal and
leave balance of 5000, 100000. He ex-
pected the canal would be made, but it
would not bring market results.
Scarcity of Lands and Irrigation.
He next considered the growing scar
city of agricultural lands and the de-
fects in our land laws which allowed
spectators and great combinations to
of farmers. He highly commended the
NATIONAL Id,i, irrigation movement, saying the
sixty million acres, and he had no doubt
in the end many times that amount.
Markets.
The final question of all was securing
markets for our products: He said:
Our exports of commodities the product
of agriculture for the year 1904 were
valued at $3.50, 64S,O73, and were 59.4s per
cent of all our exports. Our exports OF
$452, 1852 or 31.52 per cent of the whole.
The ratio is very nearly two to one.
Moreover, the tendency is for the former
to increase while the latter decreases. In
the commercial war upon us which has
already heard the firing of the first gun.
it is the manufactured article that will be
upon all that we have to sell the diSad-
vantage will fall. Our statesmen assum-
ed that we alone could use protective
tariff to advantage, overlooking the very
simple process of other nations meeting
one tariff with another. The rest of the
world has been wonderfully patient. 1t
has taken no notice until we began to be
thought of not exactly as dangerous
competitor in manufactured commodities,
for we are not yet, but as possible one.
Then it took counsel, and the new German
tariff is the first step in league where
we shall find all Europe commercially
banded against us. What are we going
m do q ORC ffl
find our markets; and especially the mar
ket 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
sumed only the trifing amount tot of two
bushels per annum. We have studied that
trade and prepared for it. We have helped
into the greatest steamships that ever
sailed the seas to serve it. We did these
things in order that we might be able to
make rate under which this, Oriental
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 CONT
nent and the whole breadth of the Pacific
ocean if you have big or even a reason
able mileage charge
Wen, we have met with obstacles at
every step; not the obstacles. that busy
men have a right to expect and know how
petitors or the difficulty of conquering
material things, but interference with
plans and regulations and rules and or
ders that can serve no purpose except to
make impossible the maintenance Of this
new market. These customers are out
ragged by a policy that insults their ma
tional dignity and their personal self-re-
Spect until they determine to buy no
more of us. These ships, instead of meet
ing with reasonable encouragement, are
hampered and tied down by regulations
w q q G n m.
crate them. These rates, which are the
essential parts of the whole affair, are
destroyed by laws that put us at the mer-
cy OF every Iorelgn tramp mat Iloats tne
of any home interest that might suffer,
for these ocean rates do not concern the
be low enough to admit him to outside
markets, but only to the annoyance and
detriment and encouragement of Ameri-
can foreign trade in the great staples that
you help to produce and that must con-
tinue to enter increasingly into our deal
ings with other peoples. The total for
ego tn $3.50 vea and IN rana
numbers. 1t is destined to increase and
multiply at a rate that will astoniSh the
world, and we might have the lions share
of it If we only exercised common sense
and business prudence and patriotic fore
sight
Open Market.
This problem of the market is your
problem. This fallacy that the United
States is getting control Of the markets
of the world needs to be studied into and
honestly answered. Because our highly
protected manufacturers are able, by rea-
son of the big prices they charge you, to
send a certain portion of their output
abroad and sell it for half what you pay,
we are not cOnquering the commercial
world. The market belongs to the man
who makes the lowest price; and in the
United States, where it is a matter Of
both pride and principle to pay labor
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