Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-09-13

On the other hand, shipments east
ward from the latter points and
thence to the Lakes via that canal
will certainly be such as to give
a large share of the benefits to that
waterway. D., .ssss e
The Missouri the Master Key to In
land Navigation. u.
But those cities on the lower Mis-
souri, must, in order. to demonstrate
to. the country at large and to con-
gressional committees through whom
the appropriations for these water
ways improvements must come that
it is feasible to construct deep
water channel up the Missouri river
to its present greatest emporium,
and that trade demands and will
continue to demand it--they must
be able to show that the trade re-:
sources behind those centers are
such as to guarantee greatly enlarg-
ed commerce. which VIII be develop
ed iii d material degree BY such
Missouri river improvements, and
that those resources wfll expand so
as to require the deep channel to
be carried further up stream. Where
must those cities look for tributary
territory which will be. in the dis
cussion determine the government
to act afirmativefy? Not alone to
the west and southwest. The field in
those directions is large, but in a
relative sense it is restricted, while
it can be reached only by rail car
riage.
Cooperation and Disqualification
Merchants, commercial clubs, navi-
cation congress all must look, for
the sinews of war with which to re-
inforee the general array of elements
into an invincible power to enforce
conviction, upon this subject of riv-
.er Improvement, to the upper Mis-
souri, valley. And in order to fix
attention upon that special line of
resources these allied forces must
bring about, in the sense Of a re-
vival upon aggressive lines, boating
trade between the lower and the up
per Missouri river.
Present conditions and the poten-
tial trade relations between the two
grand divisions Of the Missouri river
valley warrant immediate revival
Of navigation on the lines above in
Dictated. It is simply question of
descending to details In working out
business propositions involved in
such trade, and the assembling Of
capital in intelligent hands with
which to finance the business. If the
attempt is made, 1t is predicted that
the problem will have much less real
difficulty in it than is generally sup
posed, and that results will be not
only satisfactory, but surprising, In
growth of trade and in the moral eff
feet which such operations will have
upon the public in reassuring it Of
the practicability and the necessity
of river improvement to insure and
safeguard the enlarged commerce
which must follow a successful III
itiative.
Upper Missouri Country Trade Pro-
Queer.
Further: Let us look into some Of
the trade elements surrounding the
upper Missouri region and which, in
the absence Of rivalry on the part of
the lower Missouri towns for domi-
nance of the up-riyer trade, will be
exploited by railroads and CONNER
cial centers which have long been in
the field reducing those elements to
intelligent handling. In this prob
lem tariff east and west of the up
per Missouri valley is involved.
Speaking roundly, Bismarck,
Pierre and Sioux City are not far
from equi-distant from Lake Super
ior at Duluth, the distance being in
the neighborhood Of five hundred
miles. The two last named towns
are much nearer the Twin Cities.
At Duluth water rate to Buffalo
can be had on the same basis, sub
sttantially, as from Chicago, while
it is not much more than half as far
from Pierre to Duluth as it is to
Chicago. The Twin Cities have for
long time had such hold upon the
upper Missouri trade as to have prac-
.tically dominated it, except as to
the southern portion of South Da-
kota east Of the Missouri, and the
Black Hills, in which districts Sioux
City has probably had the larger
portion Of the trade, Omaha and
Kansas City sharing III it. The Red
river towns and Duluth share with.
the Twin Cities in the remoter north
ern areas of the upper Missouri
Chicago has a large part of the trade
over these general areas, but more
in the southern than the more