Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-10-12
TELLS CHICAGO COMMERCIAL
CLUB WHAT HE THINKS.
Northwest Must Pave Way for Vast
Influx-our Highest Duty Is to Post.
pone Day of Shadows - Economic
changes-System of Waste Menaces
the Nation-Intensified FARMING.

forum hotel under the auspices of
the Commercial association. His
theme was THE Development of the
Northwest" and his remarks were
greeted with applause because of the
great deal in ore lands which he clos
ed recently in behalf of the Great
Northern Railway.
David e. Forgan, president of the
Commercial association, presided at
the banquet, which was attended by
about $50 members of the association
and their friends. Sir Thomas Upton
was one of the chief guests Of the
evening Other speeches were:
Conquest of the Pacific" Congress-
man George E. Foss, and San Fran
CISCO" by Ernest F. Bicknell. Mr..
Bicknell represented the Chicago Com
mercial association in the relief meas
ures at San Francisco after the earth
quake.
After reviewing the progress made
in the northwest in the past so years,
Mr. Hill said:
1.-THE first business and the highest
duty of the northwest is to prepare for
the burden and heat of the coming day
and to postpone the frightening of the
shadows that must surely fall. With
in certain limits we may know exactly
what is to happen in this country and
the northwest If forces now operative
and if tendencies now active are I'M
checked. These, briefly, are the GER
tainties of the next so years, support
ed by facts ascertained beyond pos
sibility of error. BY the middle of
this century, within the life time of
thousands now living, our population
will be more than 200,000,0Uv. Where
are these people to find profitable oc-
cupation? How are they to obtain the
necessities of life? The question is
always pressing upon great cities like
Chicago, where immigration concen-
trates. But these newcomers can not
be excluded. Labor was never as
scarce, wages were never as high as
at the present day. We can not stop
the inflow or check the natural in
crease. We must determine. however,
upon an economy different from the
present. when our population Is ap-
preaching three times what it was in
1900. Striking as has N found the
contrast between 1850 and 1900, that
between the present and 1850 will re-
veal more serious features. Pract1-
cally speaking, our public lands are all
occupied.
irrigation VIII Assist.
"The irrigation of lands by the gen.
eral government will do something,
but when all the present plans are
completed, they will furnish land for
fewer than 100000 small farms of 40
acres EACH or for population OF
seven or eight million people. our
other natural resources have been ex-
plotted with a lavish hand. Our ex-
ports, of which we love to boast, con-
sist mostly of the products of the SOIL.
Our iron and coal supply will begin 10
show signs of exhaustion before 50
years have passed. The former at the
present rate of increasing the produc-
ton, will be greatly reduced. Our for
ests are rapidly going, our vast supply
of mineral oil flows to the ends OF the
earth. We can not continue to sup
ply the whole world and recruit our
own resources by the methods OF trade
that now obtain, because the minerals
stored in the ground do not recreate
themselves. Once used they are gone
forever. We shall, with these coming
millions to provide for, be thrown
back upon the soil, the only resource
of mankind that it capable of INFINITE
renewal and that offers life for gen
Grafton after generation. The perloo
OF ransacking the national storehouse
10 see what can be sent over seas ana
sold must be changed to an era III
which we shall consider the preserVa-
Ton and improvement of what is, 1un-
damentally, our chief maintenance.
or upon the cultivation of the SOIL anu
all varied commercial activity, lntrls-
SIC or intact, is mainly built; and upon
II depends the future of mankind, anu
The nature and stability of its institu-
tons.
In some things we are going Dack-
ward. The soil of the country Is De-
ing impoverished by careless trea'-
ment. Forests are cut down that tne
sun may make it and the floods scour
II INTO the ocean. It has been croppeu
Win the same grain year after year,
until its productive power in some ol
The richest portions of the country mas
deteriorated fullv IN ner cent. Inc
census returns show an actual ue-
crease in farm values in large NUM-
Oer OF the states. It is easily demon