The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-01-13
THE wATcHHAN AND soUTHRoN JANuARY "a ,aoa

they keep open their rivers and other
inland water ways to q navieablt
state. and their harbors In first clas.
condition to receive the largest YES.
sells. In Germany. France, England
Holland and Austria. and some of the
Eastern countries. such as Japan and
China. and many Of the old Larir
countries OF South America, the trav-
eler In these countries is impressed
with the Governments' care and pro-
lection OF their water ways. One can
not find In the European countries a
monopoly Of the freight or other
transportation business, because their
water ways are kept in good navi-
gable state by their Governments, and
the people get the cheap water rates
to Offset the monopolistic high tarifrs
OF the railroads when they have no
competition by water.
Our country Is the greatest produc-
Ing land In the world. and in the past
few years 1t has opened its resources
faster than any country on earth,
and more Of them. With all this phe-
nomenal opening Of natural resources
has our Government endeavored to
assist In the cheapness Of transporta-
ton. or protected It's people against
monopolistic transportation charges.
Has It made. any tangible advance to-
ward giving the people what they
most need for the future? Can this
body of the representative citizens of
the country, influence the National
Congress to sense Of this National
necessity? II they cannot. there must
be some other way adopted for this
work. In connection with our i'm
pressions. on the Importance of this
work. We are brought face to face
with some facts in connection with
the extravagant expenditures of the
government. during the last fiscal
year, A summary Of these facts are
as follows:
The expenses Of the government
have increased by about $500. .oOo,-
100000 Or eighty per cent since 1897.
and we thought we had quite gov
ernment In 1897. the following year
we whipped Spain. but spent less, not
withstanding that costly operation.
than 1t spends now.
The increase In the war and navy
expenditures for the last fiscal year
were s2ss.ooo. 900 against $4,000, 900
In 1897.
The war and navy department cost
last fiscal year almost as much as
the total expenses OF the government
the year Cleveland was first elected.
The general government spent last
year Except postal revenue) $685.
| 100000. and the appropriations by
the lanst congress were very close to
the $4,000. 100000 mark.
The expenses Of the government last
fiscal year Except postal revenue)
was ninety per cent of what 5.250.00
hands employed in the factories in
the country earned in the year 1900.
So the expenses Of the Government;
last fiscal year was about one sixth
of the income OF the population
Ten per cent. Of the increase OF
the Government expenses for the Ar
my and Navy last fiscal year. would
have given a sum Of about $23,0OO,-
900 to be employed in opening the
rivers to state Of navigation In the
southern states. II we could get ten
per cent Of the extravagant increase
In the expenditures for the Army and
Navy every year. II would not be many
years. before We would have every
river In the south open to navigation
and have saving to the shippers
millions Of dollars. And what a Gods
blessing 1t would be to the people OF
the South. who have been grossly neg
lected in the National appropriations
for Southern Rivers and Harbors.
The appropriations for the next fs-
cal year for rivers and harbors In
| the Southern States. are as follows:
Arkansas and Louisiana 4s5,135
Alabama. =. 1885, 200
Georgia. :. -. 41s,O0O
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