Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-10

duStrieS would certainly not be in the
fiourishing condition in which they are
now. When ice closes the German riv-
trades are at once very seriously af-
fected, and if the German waterways
should be blocked for whole year.
the whole of Germany would probably
be ruined. for Germany cannot live
without her waterways. Certain val
liable products and by-products of the
German mines and iron works. and the
more bulky product of the chemical
industries of Germany. can, according
to many only be sold in Germany and
abroad, owing TO the cheapness of
transport by water, and in many cases
the profit is cut so fine that an in
crease of the freight charges by about
one-fiftieth of penny per ton per mile
would inevitably kill important indus
tries. which. it seems. are at present
killing the industries of countries com
peting with Germany. Thus Germany's
industrial success is. no doubt due to
a very large extent TO the immense as
sistance which she receives from her
waterways.
In my opinion, we could well emu
late the French and Germans in this
wise policy, and | sincerely hope We
will do so.
Nothing More Reasonable.
ITO my mind. there is no more de- |
tensible and reasonable object for ma
,ional legislation than improving navi- |
CATION, thereby cheapening freight and |
cr IN the land for transportation |
charges add nothing to the value of |
Icy commodity. but are a tax alike |
upon the producer and consumer The
Ike bloOd of nation is its commerce.
For every foot of added depth to the |
harbors of New Orleans. New York
anG Boston. the former in the cotton
iic. ; OF the south and plains of the
west gets an appreciable increase in
the price of his cotton, wheat. and ev-
cry other product of the farm. not
only on what he ships abroad but
what he sells at home, for it is an AK
ION Of political economy that the price
Of tho Surplus fixes the price of the
whole
Before the great Improvement OF
lake Eavigation-say in the sixties.
wheat cost 1861 cents per bushel from
Chicago tC New York by the lakes and
I've Erie Canal. and 1910 cents by the
ATRIAL TCilte Now that magnificent
feet at it's shallowest
parts exists from Duluth and Chicago
to Buffalo, the freight on a bushel OF
wheat from either of these cities to
New YORK. is 5.25 cents by lake and
canal and 1860 cents by rail This is
Il saving to the farmer of from % to
So cents per bushel on the rates of
81 rTaIs ago. and over five cents per
bu.hcl 81 present rates by rail. In
other words, where it formerly cost
1.Ci cents per bushel by water il now
costs I.25 cents-about one-sixth as !
where rail rates were 46. 10 |
cents they are now 1O.6O-a little less
than OnG-tCurth.
How II Affects Farming.
The cereal crop, corn. wheat. oats. |
barley and rye, of the states inmedi- |
ately adjacent to the lakes-Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio. Wisconsin. Iowa. Min
nesota. and Michigan-as shown by |
he Year Book of Agriculture for 1905.
was 1.971,976,S21 bushels. and a saving |
Of even five cents per bushel thereon
in frelgilts to seaboard meant for the
farmers OF those seven state a gain
Of S4S 99S SAC per annum on the grain
crop alCIe. Moreover, the potato crop
for those seven states last year was
SO, 102,395 bushels; and the hay crop
vas 22,991 1894 tons. A reduction in
reights of five cents per bushel on
he potatoes and 30 cents per ton on
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