Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-15

times the capacity to do it, is there
the slightest question of expediency
in regard to it. How about the COM
merce Will there be commerce for
it Well, / have already told you about
the commerce on that stretch and 1
am more familiar with it. Every
Every stretch of the Missouri river
have referred to it only because i
has its own peculiar problem.
The reason that the Missouri river
gives rise to all these jests-that jest
that the catfish has to stand on it's
head to get drink, pretty joke, but
one that has never helped the Missou-
ri river any; the jest about the sand
blowing out of the river and the sug-
gestion that we would better pave it
instead of putting boats on it-all
these jokes that have come down to
use-the reason why the Missouri riv-
er presents its problems is that it
runs through the best country on
God Almighty's earth. 1t runs through
wheat fields and corn fields hundreds
of misunderstanding Observation-Disclosures
of miles in width; it runs through an
alluvial valley, and the channel does
shift, of course it shifts about I can
find you rivers that you can improve
at small expense, but when you get
them improved and you put on your
boats there is no businessno re.
sources in the country tributary OF
development; no possibilities. Is 1t
worth while to spend money upon such
streams. But who can estimate the
possibilities in the development of
this magnificent valley. We have
just touched the borders of develop
ment of any stretch of it. The ques.
ton has been raised, but gentlemen
there is no doubt, or rooom for de
bate, about the prospect of commerce
on the Missouri river.
A Regulator Of Rates
What will it do in the matter OF
regulating railroad rates. The cheap
ening Of rates will be to us direct
benefit. The day will come when the
direct benefits, the actual cheapening
of rates will overbalance all other
nsiderations. believe the day will
come when Bismarck will be like one
Of those manufacturing towns in Ger
many of which spoke on deep wa
ter, when the manufactured produc.
lions of this beautiful growing city
and its lister over the way will 81
down to the sea in ships pass out from
the Isthmian canal and into the mar
kets of the world, and not be affected
at all with the railroad rates. It will
not be such very distant time, either.
But what is it going to do Immediate
" In the matter Of regulating rates?
still stand for regulation. say
now as said two years ago in con-
gress:
: : ; :: !. !: : :: !: : !: :
:: The American people have new !.
!: er, as people, complained of the :.
:: railroad rates in this country or :.
!: complained of excessive charges :.
!: of the railroads for carry ing !:
!; freight. The people of this coun- :.
:: try know what is going on in the :
: world and they know what the :.
: American railroads give the best :.
!: service of any country on earth :,
: for the same money. They know :.
!: that American railroads carry :.
!: freight further for the same :.
: money; that on the whole the :.
!: railroads rates in this country :.
. have not been too high But 8
!. what they do complain of-what :.
I: they have been complaining of :.
!: is discrimination. They have &
:: complained because the large :.
:: shipper has been getting rate :.
!: that the little shipper could not :.
I: get; that communities were dis :.
= eliminated against. What the :.
!: American people want is fair =
: play from the railroads. The Am :.
!: erican people do not complain 8
!: when the railroads make their !:
= own rules, but they complain !.
= when they do not obey their own ::
= rules. but are everlastingly dis /:
I: eliminating against one commun- I:
= ity. What they want is to have !:
= things equalized, the discrimina- !:
: lions done away with, so that !:
each community can go forward !:
8 with an equal chance to get !:
square deal. Now some improve !:
: ment has been made but we are !:
= not getting that at the present ::
s time.
= {. e = !: I: = 8 q 4: g - Z. 9
Let me refer again to that stretch
Of river with which am most fami
liar. Kansas City is 287 miles from
lSt. Louis by rail. For twenty year;
she has had first-class rate from thu
seabOard of S1.47 A hundred q hundrof