Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-10-06

areas. Transcontinental lines connect
the Pacific coast with the Atlantic
seaboard. North and south line S
reach from the Dakotas down to the
Gulf. Branch lines tap the interior
and haul away the grain from the
lonely prairie elevator. The railroads
have transformed the Trans -Mississip-
pi country. But every year at harvest
time We hear the recurring cry of too
few cars and too few engines, Toe
prairie elevator is filled to the roof
day after day, with no cars ready to
haul away the grain. New towns
spring up and are unable to secure
freight because of the congestion at
central points. Down in the corn
raising districts this fall you win see
hundreds of thousands of bushels Of
corn hcaped on the open ground, be-
cause transportation is lacking. The
country has developed faster than
railroad building has gone on.
Increase in Production.
Not until we study the statistics OF
the Trans Mississippi country do We
realize the Importance OF this nee Dc.
When the Commercial congress WIa
organized there were but $4,000. 900
peop4e here; today there are .o,JUU,-
700. The value OF farm propei was
given by the government census as
$2,lS7,o00,000; today it IS $19,S9S,-
100000. The production of the farms
of the United states this year is esti-
mated at $7.500,000,00O, of which
fully 90 per cent comes from the
Trans Mississippi country, an increase
80 l., 81
years. The mining industry has in
creased In even greater proportion.
While these tremendous growths have
been taking place in the value anu
production of the Trans Mississippi
territory, the transportation facilities
have not increased in any such meas
ure. In 1888 the railroad mileage
was 6S,057 miles. The statistics for
last year-which are the latest avail
able--give to this territory 102,2S6
miles. This increase of less than 60
per cent is far below the needs of the
richly productive area that these lines
serve. 1t is evident to the student
Of commercial affairs that we need
tens OF thousands of miles of new
railway in order to handle properly
the tremendous and growing output Of
our farm lands and mines.
Re ilroad Building TO BE Encouraged.
Here and there a comm onwealth
has a mistaken idea of its own needs
and attacks the railroad as an ene-
my, when it should have considered
1t an associate in its development. 1t
is a poor policy on the part of indi-
viduals or of a community to hinder
those things that make for present
day progress. Thousands of COM
munities today would have railroads
If the builders of great lines were not
afraid Of what may come in the way
of hostile legislation. Hundreds OF
communities need a railway station n
order to grow as they should. The
Trans Mississippi country ought to
have thousands of miles of new rail-
way In the next year, and the men
who are most familiar with its needs
and opportunities realize this most
completely. 1t makes no difference
whether these new lines are built 1y
old established corporations or by new
ones. The railroad today is run on
principles of straightforward business
and all must come under the same
regulation. But the thing is that
more lines should be built, more coun-
try should be opened, more facilities
should be given to sections that have
thus far exceeded the ability of trans
portation lines to accommodate theiI
needs. 1t would be a wise thing for
every member of the Trans Mississip-
pi Commercial congress, and for every
business man in the territory we rep
resent to encourage the building VI
these needed lines of transportation
that the splendid civilization of ouT
western states may not be hindered
in its progress.
Oriental Trade.