The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-11-27

proved highways that III MANY sec
tons they are bonding their coun-
ties. One instance will sufficiently
Illustrate: One of these object les
son roads was constructed in Tonnes
see. The authorities bonded the
county for 100000 to extend the
system. Lands adjacent to it, rose
from SIS and $40 per acre to SIS
and $50 per acre. The bel efits were
so great that the county made
further issue Of bonds amounting to
$4,000. and sold them ar Il prem
ium of $21 600. The settlement IS
rendered more desirable, population
IS attracted With the increase in
population comes increased demand
for fooG and farm products. and the
consequent rise in farm land values
With the increase in population the
demand for products must necessar-
lily increase. The area of the land
cannot increase. 1t remains the
same. There IS an Increased demand
for its use. There are more mar
kets for its products The farmer
finds his choice Of markets. The
price Of his products necessarily goes
up. He transports them at a nin-
imam cost to the highest market.
and hauls back, at minimum cost.
his feed, coal, lumber, etc Re is
affected by lowering of cost and an
Increase of gains.
AS {, nation we have now reached
that stage where our industrial pro-
gress depends upon our solution OF
three great problems: Irrigation,
cOnserga alton Ct resources ana inter
hal transportation. We have been
prosperous bcCan.a we sold abroad
more than We purchased The bal
ance of trade has been in our favor.
Unless the producer can market his
crops at profit, he will have moth
ing to export The quantity of az
ricultural products exported will de-
pend upon our internal transporta-
lion system. Hitherto, great atten-
ton and care has been gwen to our
railroads aId waterways These are
but as the arteries and veins in Our
industrial body-the country roads
are the feeders-the capillaries.
These great We MS cannot carry away
any more than these feeders and
capillaries can deliver TO them. All
agricultural products, by rail Or yes
sci, must be carried over the coun-
try roads from the farm Congress:
has contributed literally toward the
creation OF our great railroad sys-
ten From 1850 to 1890 the Unit
ed States granted to railroad COM
raHies one hundred eighty million
acres of land-an empire in extent
to Il d them in building roads for
the use of which every citizen must
pay. We have been criticised for
so doing but, right or wrong, tho
aid thus granted has resulted in II.
settlement and development of rich
sections OF our country, has ami
hilateu distance, created marl,es,
brought them nearer to the produc-
er, ard placed the United States IN
the fore front of commercial ma
OTIS They have added greatly to
of,r national wealth and increased
the state revenues The railways
OF the country from 1901 to 1906
paid in taxes to the various states
$3.50, geo, 900, which is a mere bag
atellc when compared TO the increas.
I'd revenue resulting from rise OF val
ue3 in consequence of the building
OF the ROADS. Already there is hearl
ON every hand the cry for increased
appropriations for the Improvement
of our internal waterways. The
iIennepin. Canal, 104 miles long and
81 feet wide at the bottom, with
its thirty-tWo locks ard its wonder
full dam, has just been completed.
Aid is asked for a canal connect ne
the Great Lakes with the Ohio; to
create an internal waterway from
Maine to the Gulf and to Mexico,
10 dreige out in the Miss ssppi q
channel broad enough and deep
enough to enable large vessels hitheT-
to unable to ply its waters to estab-
lsh and reach shipping points for
our produce nearer than the distant
seaboard TIL s great need for inl-
prOvement and increased river and
canal commerce means that the rail
ways of the country are inadeauata
to meet the demands of internal
transportation, bit when all or
available streams are improved, when
all the contemplated canals are cat
they can only transport such agri-
cultural products as are brought
from the farlnS over the country
roads to Their docks They VIII
flourish and prosper according as or
internal highways feeders and
capillares-prove adequate to meet
The demand for carrying the pro-
ducts from the field.
The statistics of exports from til $
country for the ten years prior u
and including 1906 show that more
than SO per cent of the total ex-
ports were farm products. In mon
ey, this amounted to over eight bill
lions of dollars that the farm pro-
ducts brought into this country
How much of that did the farmers
get? How many millions of these
DO lars did the farmers bury in the
mud between fields and the market
| hope | may be pardoned i
d'gress here to illustrate the natloh-
al neglect of our highway system by
reminding you that, during these
ten years when the farmers or on:
country were hauling this eight bli
lions of dollars worth Of products
over our country roads, at the av-