Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1907-10-17
TELLS STORY OF STATES GROWTH
Address Of Gov. Coo Crawford the Inland Waterways
Convention at Memphis.

sissippi valley-which, we are told.
embraces over $4,000 miles Of river
waterways-over 40 per cent Of the
whole waterway system of the United
States.
The Missouri river is very impor-
tant part Of the Missouri ?Missis~.. ypi-
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. It has
about 20 per cent of the entire rail-
way mileage of the country and con-
tributes about is per 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 EN-
cient Improvement Of the Missouri
river, SO as to make 1t practical
route for commerce from South Da-
kota to st. Louis, would bring to the
trunk canal a tributary which could
deliver to 1t 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, see the value of 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 broad, comprehensive and prac-
tical scheme which will make 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 100000 bushels of wheat,
100000 bushels of corn, 1000 900
bushels of oats, 24,000,OOO bushels Of
barley, 100000 bushels of fax, $685.
900 bushels Of speltz. 1900, 900 tons OF
hay, 100000 in potatoes, vegetables
and fruits, $7,500,O0O in dairy prod
ucts, $5,000000 in eggs and poultry,
! $36,000,000 in livestock, 100000 In
minerals and stone, 100000 in wool
and hides, and 5000 in honey-a to-
tai of - 100000.
The annual output is increasing
each year with rapidly advancing
ratio, pouring constantly swelling
stream into the arteries of commerce.
At present there are only six inhabit.
ants to the square mile, 80 that we
have room and resources for a vast
increase in population.
The story of South Dakota Is the
story of its neighbors in the upper
Missouri region. We tell 1t 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 day
of trust and combination, however, il
frequently happens that competition
is destroyed and sometimes principle
(, OF protection is invoked to promote
unjust exclusion and monopoly.
speak Tor the producers OF an agricul
tural state when say that we want
our tariff laws revised to remedy
cases OF this kind. When a trust has
destroyed competition in the trade OF
any commodity at home, why not lie,
the foreigner clip its wings by re
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 selflshness
and human avarice exist When the
power to extort exists the law OF
regulation and control Is the only pro-
lection of the people. The building
OF the Panama canal and the improve
ment OF the waterways OF the Mis-
souri, and Mississippi valleys will be
q wholesome check upon the monnn
oily OF railroad transportation, and in
behalf OF the people of one of the
states in the valley of the Missouri
join In the hope and wish that the
great enterprise which engages the
attention of this convention may be
successfully carried out
Pugiiist Discharged.
Chicago. Oct 13--Arthur Johnson