The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-10-18
TELLS STORY OF STATES GROWTH
Address Of Gov. Coo /. Crawford at the Inland waterways
Convention al Memphis.

sissippi valley-which, we are told,
embraces over 10000 miles Of river
waterways-over 40 per cent of the
whole waterway system of the United
States.
The Missouri river is a very impor-
tant part of the Missouri mississippi
Ohio waterway. 1t drains the great
est stock-raising and grain-producing
section Of the United States.
This great section embraces about
one-fourth of the United States and
Is per cent Of it's population. 1t has
about 20 per cen of the entire rail-
way mileage Of the country and con-
tributes about Is Ger cent of gross
earnings annually to the railroads.
The building Of the Panama canal
alone will undoubtedly accentuate the
commerce on the Mississippi river.
The construction of a great trunk
canal from Lake Michigan to the Gulf
OF Mexico would enlarge that COM
merce tremendously, while the eff
Gent improvement Of the Missouri
river, so as to make it a practical
route for commerce from South Da-
kota to st. Louis, would bring to the
trunk canal a tributary which could
deliver to it millions Of tons annually,
and the saving to the people both d.
rectly and indirectly would be meal
culable. It Is claimed that the aver
age rate for carrying freight on the
great lakes and upon the rivers in the
Mississippi valley Is only about one
seventh of the average rate charged
by the railroads of the United States.
The people of the upper Missouri
country, in common with the people Of
the central region of the United
States, e the value Of a great water
route of this kind as a leveler and a
check upon railway rates. They are
not only willing, but anxious, to sup
port a broad, comprehensive and prac-
tical scheme which will make a com.
mercial use of these great natural
highways.
Prophetic of the future that awaits
the vast upper Missouri section, and
its constantly increasing products, is
the output of South Dakota-one OF
the new states-which for the year
1906 was 8 5000, 900 bushels of wheat,
100000 bushels of corn, $1,000. 900
bushels of oats, "a, 900. 900 bushels of
barley. 1000, 900 bushels of flax, $685.
600 bushels of speltz, 1000, 900 tons OF
hay, 100000 in potatoes, vegetables
and fruits, 81. 500, 900 in dairy prod
ucts, $5,000,0O in eggs and poultry,
$36,OOO,O00 in livestock. $4,000, 900 in
minerals and stone, $4,000 in wool
and hides, and $25, 900 in honey-a to.
tai of 1000 900.
The annual output is increasing
each year with a rapidly advancing
ratio, pouring a constantly swelling
stream into the arteries of commerce.
At present there~are only six inhabit.
ants to the square mile, so that we
have room n resources for a vast
increase in population.
h story of South Dakota Is the
story of it's neighbors in the uppe
Missouri region. We tell it to you as
elder members of the household OF
states, and with it gives assurance
that we are ready to help in every
way possible an enterprise that will
cheaper the way from our farms to
the markets Of the world.
We want good markets and free and
fair competition at home. In the old
days, when the protective system was
building up home manufactures.
there was free competition in the
home market, which kept prices at
a reasonable level. In the present lay
of trust and combination, however. It
frequently happens that competition
is destroyed and sometimes principle
OF protection is invoked to promote
unjust exclusion and monopoly. I
speak for the producers of an agricul.
tural state when ] say that we want
our tar1n laws revised to remedy
cases OF this kind. When a trust has
destroyed competition in the trade Of
any commodity at home, why not let
the foreigner clip it's wings by ro.
ducing the tariff upon that commodity
so as to let him come in? When com.
petition is destroyed, extortion fol.
lows as certainly as human %selfshness
and human avarice exist. When the
power to extort exists the law of
regulation and control IL the only pro-
lection Of the people. The building
OF the Panama canal and the improve.
ment OF the waterways Of the Mis-
souri, n Mississippi valleys will he
q wholesome check upon the monon.
Oily OF railroad transportation, and in
behalf Of the people Of one Of the
tates In the valley Of the Missouri.
Join In the hope and wish that the
great enterprise which engages the
attention Of this convention may ba
successfully carried out.
PuoiIlst Discharged.