The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-06


and haul away the grain from the lone
ly prairie elevator. The railroads nave
transformed the Tr1nsmisslSsippi coun-
try. But every .yeas a. harvest tl,ne
( We hear the recurring csy OF loo lew
cars and too few eng 1 Is. Inc tralIie
elevator is fillei to the roof day aites
day, with no cars ready TO maui away
the grain. New towns spring up anu
are unable to secure freight because ~
the congestion aS. cea:r,u poiH.; poMm
you will see hIndred- of thous anis c1
bushels of cora heaped On .he open
ground, because traasp ort2tion Is In
ing. The country has deve.opea faster
than railroad building has gone on
Increase in Production.
Not until we study the statistics. OF
the Transmississippi country 90 we
realize the Importance OF TINS = neeo.
When the commercial congress was =,
ganized there were but. l6,OOO,OoO peopie
here today there are 25,UVo,uuo. me Nat-
ue of farm property was given oy the
government census as $2.131, OOO0OO; TO-
day it is s19 S9S .o00. 900. The production
of the farms of the United STATES TINS
year is estimated at $I,o0e,oVo,oVV OF
which fully so per cent comes from the
Transmississippi country, an increase or
100 per cent in the past 10 years. Inc
mining industry has increased IN even
greater proportion: While these lIe
mendous growths have been taxing
the Transmississippi territory, the
transportation facilities have not IN
creased in any such measure. IN 1900
the railroad mileage was 6o,uoi ililee'
The statistics for last year-whlcn al
the latest available-give to this terri
tory 102, 2S6 miles. This increase OF
less than 60 per cent is far pelo" .ne
needs of the richly productive area
that these lines serve l Is ev ssl',,.s
to the student of commercial affairs
that we need tens Of thousands OF
miles of new railway in order TO nan
die properly the tremendous ana
growing output of our farm lanos ana
mines.
Railroad Building to Be Encouraged.
Here and there a commonwealth has
a mistaken idea of its own needs ana
attacks the railroad as an enemy, when
it should have considered it, an asso-
ciate in its development. 1t is poor
policy on the part of individuals or OF
community to hinder those things
that make for present day progress.
Thousands of communities To-Day
would have railroads if the builders of
great lines were not afraid or Wnat
may come in the way or hostile iegis,
lation. Hundreds of communities need
a railway station in order to grow as
they should. The Transmississlppl
country ought to have thousands OF
miles of new railway 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 by old established railway cor
| porations or by new ones. The rail-
road 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 country should be opened,
more facilities should be given to sec
lions that have thus far exceeded the
ability of transportation lines to ac-
commodate their needs. 1t would be
| wise thing for every member or the
| Transmississippi Commercial congress.
and for every business man in the ter,
| ritory we represent to encourage the
! building of these needed lines of trans
| portation that the splendid civilization
| of our western states may not be hin
dered in its progress.
|. Oriental Trade. As~se'-~-.-s-
I Another great influence that Z is
working toward the advancement of
| the states we represent is the growing
| Improvement in Oriental trade, q vast
| portion of which passes through the
| portals of the Golden Gate. When we
recall that the export trade to Asia
| twenty years ago was only $17, 900,
and that now 1t has become $135,504,-
| 900, we realize the tremendous i'm
portance of this portion of our national
| commercial life. With correspond
! ing increase we shall have in lsss than
| decade $1,000. 100000 of exports
shipped from the Pacific coast to Asia.
This one feature means tremendous
bthings to- San Francisco and to all the
coast cities. 1t means that there are
! to be on the sunset side of the nation,
magnificent and mighty ports that
shall rival the greatest in the world. I.
Nor is all this business confined to
, the states, Alaska is coming prom
| inentIy to the fore as a great pro-
| Queer of wealth. expanding steadily in
| its Importance as factor in the ma
| TONS commercial life. 1 believe the
! time is come when Alaska should be
given a full territorial form of gov
| eminent with such self management
| as is possible 1t, has men Of brains,
commerce that runs into, marvellous
| figures-let us take it into the circle
of our government and allow 1t a
| voice in the affairs of the nation.
There is neither justice nor wisdom
| in refusing to do this.
| Hope for the Future.
With these great problems and
| many others before us, we meet here
/ the representatives of nineteen states,
| and two territories-which ought to be
made into two more states at the next
| session of congress by all rights of
good sense and intelligent legislation
with Alaska and the Hawaiian ISL
| ands Joined, to advance our business
| interests. We are fortunate in having
men whose lives and efforts speak for
| intelligent progress, and doubly for
tunate in having such a magnificent
| city as our. host. Though the second
| time we have met here,9 and many Of
us have known the city long, never
has there been so splendid an exhibit
| ton of advancement and determine
ton as is evidenced by the San Fran
cisco of today. The Transmississippi
| Commercial congress will soon close
| its first two decades. It has a. splen-
did record of things done, of things
attempted, of high-minded effort, of
abundant hospitality, and of COM
mendable American spirit. Let us
/ hone that coming wears will see q non