New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-18
THE COUNTRY'S NEEDS
B. f. YOAKUMS VIEWS.
Calls Grain and Cotton Better De-
fences than Warships.

ing exnenditures which the United States is incur
ring in connection with the maintenance OF the
army and navy. and declaring that gram ana cot
ton fields are stronger military defences than war
ships b. F. Yoakum chairman of the executive
committee Of the Rock Island company delivered
an address to-day before the Farmers Union OF
Oklahoma He said in part:
This country now needs what our forefathers
used in LAYING its foundRton-a lot of old-fash-
toned common sense. Good Judgment and fair deal
ing are found more generally among the farmers
than in any other occupation. and when they ear
nestly take held of public questions they Will Oc-
MAKE Their good judgment and fair conclusions felt
more and more in solving the relations of the gov
eminent and its institutions.
As a matter of comparison. let us for moment
BY the government and by the railroads
The splendid railroad system of the United States
ITSELF hut how about water transportation. for
which the government is responsible?
Herbert Knox Smith. of the Department of Com
government has built about four thousand five hun
dred miles Of canals, and that more than half
means &Soenooo of wasted money
The United States government nineteen yeat
Mississippi Canal. It's length is seventy.hve miles
and It has cost 70 date. with interest at per cent
To mags9 this canal in Its present Useless y con-
boat has never passed through IT,
MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENTS.
The government has expended Approximately
River and It's tributaries The tonnage handled
over the waters of the Mississippi last year was
one-thrd less than II twenty years ago Pro-
fessional politicians in their public utterances pro
against the railroads; that grain, coal ana other
commodities he handled from 81. Louis and
other Mississippi and Ohio River points to New
dreams Tor y a ,' p' ,b he sS95 no6 COO Of tax
money exTened each ton Of last years shipment
by the Mississippi River and itstrbutaries cost the
taxpayers s6 cents in interest. In addition TO the
canal construction and operation are as simple
the construction and operation OF railroads
when properly located and operated in an eco
nomcal manner. When railroad construction is
vesiig ed before capital can he had for It's
struction. The government should use the same
foresight in planning systems OF WATERWAYS. -
In 1901 the expenses OF the government were
Sron Nv All The fsrr3ers in the tinted states last
year was not sufficient 10 pay the operating ex-
This extravagance is the result OF increasingly
expensive political machinery It is. not directly
chargeable 10 any one There is no direct respon-
expenditure. no fear OF disapproval II is the
taxpayers money II comes easy ana goes easy ss;
The story ~ goIerrment extrayasance rs ee ing
'oid broadly through the newspapers that the
wrong. The same disregard OF value OF money
would send the strongest private business IN ms ms
pruning knife in downward revision of expenses
WI brins surprising results rs m noI P5se b
they must come The deficit should be cared Tor
by reducing expenditures and not by raising taxes
We would better spend more Of the money We
I acre farm OF irrigated land will comfortably sup
Finch gun The money that goes 70 pay for
this g;In would reclaim I571 acres Of land. provd
the batteships are shot one time, the government
. blows OF I'm noise and smoke $4,000. This would
reclaim than four thousand acres Of land,
giving homes 10 more than five hundred farmers
, and their families. The money consumed In powder
reclaimed land must pay the government back iIT
years. it does not cost the government any
5ns to Rpq ~ e o1 homes ny h snd 'sS
many fighting machines.
RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION
one Of the greatest factors OF our marvellous
growth in the last twenty-five years has ben the
construction OF the one hundred and six thousand
miles of new railroads.
To show what this means 70 the country-to con
struct ballast equip and furnish terminal faciities
for the one hundred and six thousand miles OF
railroad CONSTRUCTED in the last twenty ,fve years
500 cd0ono. which paid out for labor and ma
teral.
Railroad construction has practically been aban-
doned There Is great construction under way.
and encouragement for the near future This
growth and prosperity. New railroad construction
is just essential for the great development that
| il was in the last twenty-five
our Secretary OF State sounds the keynote for
American dollar. with the American man behind
Il and the american government behind both
That Is broad and comprehensive policy TO out
line and II again enjoy a constructive rather
than Obstructive policy. this government must
adopt liberal attitude toward it's own country
as ii does foreign countries In giving Amer
icau builders the same encouragement and support
Mr. Yoakun is making tour Of the West 10 OBJ
serve crop and general business conditions. He
said in an interview at Oklahoma City to-day:
II find that business conditions good and that
Improvement is general all along the line Cotton
Is IN good condition In sections II needs rain.
The corn crop has been hurt In this state in some
sections but there will be than last year
by reason of increased acreage In other sections
OF the country the corn crop is magnificent"