Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-10-13
jim J.HILL'S Speech
TELLS CHICAGO COMMERCIAL
CLUB WHAT HE THINKS.
Northwest Must Pave Way for Vast
lnflux-Our Highest Duty Is to Post
pone Day of Shadows - Economic
Changes-System of Waste Menaces
the Nation-Intenslfied Farming.

way, was the principal speaker Sdlur-
day night at the banquet at the Audi |
forum hotel under the auspices Of |
the Commercial association. His |
theme was 'The Development of the |
and his remarks we're
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:
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 un-
checked. These, briefly, are the GER
tainties of the next 80 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 200,000,0UJ. 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. Practi-
cally speaking, our public lands are all
occupied.
Irrigation Will 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 a population OF
seven or eight million people. Oui
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 tc
show signs of exhaustion before 81
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 oui
own resources by the methods of trade
that now obtain, because the minerals
stored in the ground do not recreat'
themselves. Once used they are gone
forever. We shall. with these coming
millions to provide for be throw
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 perioC
of ransacking the national storehous'
TO see what can be sent over seas anC
sold must be changed to an era il
which we shall consider the preserva
ton and improvement of what is, fun
damentally, our chief maintenance
or upon the cultivation Of the soil ant
all varied commercial activity, intris
sic or intact, is mainly built; and upol
1t depends the future of mankind, ant
the nature and stability of its institu
lions.
"In some things we are going back
| warn. ne SOIL Ol inc COunbig Is w
ing impoverished by careless treat
ment. Forests are cut down that tn
sun may make 1t and the floods scou
it into the ocean. 1t has been croppe
with the same grain year after veal
until it's productive power in some O
the richest portions of the country ha
deteriorated fully so per cent. Tn
census returns show an actual d.
crease in farm values in large nun
Der of the states. 1t is easily demon
. strated that reform of methods G
cultivation would double the agricu
tural production each year, adding I
|, the whole country from s5.000,000.0O
to $6,O0O,000,000 to the nations
wealth, while the resort Of sma
farms and the adoption of the inter
sive cultivation would give an equs
and additional increase.
Foreign Trade a Delusion.
"The costliest error will be in clini
( ing to the delusion that we are to col
tinue to increase our exports and
live upon the profits of the foreig
0 market.