New-York tribune., 1909-11-30
HILL ON THE FUTURE.
Urges Jealous Care of Land
Resources"

In The Worlds Work for December
James J. Hill presents the second article OF
series on Highways Of Progress" In
der the heading From Minnesota 10 the
Sea" Mr.. Hill tells how the railroads
opened the great Northwest. "a new empire
Of vast forests and one Of the granaries OF
the world. sketching the development OF
the transportation business and citing rail-
road and commercial statistics 10 illustrate
the strides made since 1859. Mr.. Hill writes:
Nowhere else do comparative statistics
show more accurately the rapidity OF
growth. In 1870 the total railroad mileage
or the United States was 2,922 and in 1880
II had grown 10 1878. The increase in
these twenty years for the country was rs
per cent But in those same years the
mileage in the states beginning with Illi-
nOis on the east and extending TO the Pa
ciric Coast, including Nebraska on the
south. increased 34l per cent In the seven
distinctively Northwestern states-Minne-
sofa, the DakOtas. Montana, Idaho. Wash
tugtcn and OregOn-the increase was Isl
per cent. In 1897 these seven states had
7,l6l miles OF railroad, as against l6.s63
miles in 1880. and within their boundaries
construction Is proceeding more rapidly
than elsewhere.
While this labor Of organization, OF financ-
ing, OF construction, Of operation and or
traffic building went forward transporta-
ton charges fell progressively. until now
the Northwest has relatively-that is, TAX
ing into account the newness OF the cOun-
try and comparative density or population
and traffic-the lowest railroad rates in the
world
This mutual benefit can continue only
while the products OF fields and factories
are carried 20 the consumer on such terms
d give lis proper profit To each party 10
the transaction. thus encouraging the fur
ther increase OF industry by guaranteeing
10 each its reasonable share Of gain The
embodiment in practice OF this principle
that railroading Is business enterprise
and not a speculation: that its chief inter
EST is n - mine
rather than upon the stock exchange, that
the intelligent and Just system or prOnt
sharing between carrier and shipper en-
bodied in reasonable rates will best pro-
mote the prosperity of both ana enlarge the
common heritage, is not the least of the
contributions made by the Northwest 10
the development Of the nation and the
world within the last h1ty years
Looking to the future. Mr.. Hill SAYS that
the Northwest. having mastered natural
conditions, must now give attention 20 "the
economic and social evolution OF the race.
We must determine upon national econ
omy quite different from the present when
our population shall approach three times
what il was in 1900. Striking as the con-
trast has been found between 1850 and 1850
that between 1890 and 1850 viii reveal more
serious features" In conclusion he writes
Practically speaking, our public lands are
about all occupied our OLNer natural re-
sources have been exploited with d lavish
hand. our iron and coal supplies Will show
signs Of exhaustion before fifty wears have
passed The former at the present rate OF
increasing production, Will be greatly re-
duced. our forests are going rapidly. our
supply % mineral oil flows To the ends OF
the earth. The soil Of the country II being
Impoverished by careless treatment In
some of the richest portions of the country
its productivity has deteriOrated fully u
per cent. These are facts 10 which neces-
sity VIII compel our attention before we
have reached the middle OF this century
To realization of our position. and espe-
cially 20 a jealous care OF our land re-
- urces, both as 70 quantity and quality 20
a mode OF cultivation that viii at once
multiply the yield per acre and restore In
stead OF impairing fertility, We must come
without delay. There Is no issue in busI-
ness or in politics. that compares in i'm
pUrfanCe or in power with this.
This is the problem OF the nation, and n
is. in a special sense. the problem Of the
Northwest As here the noblCst fruits OF
prosperity have been gathered. so here
must be evolved methods 10 preserve them
from decay. Leadership implies responsi-
biiity. II is the central area OF this conti-
nent that gave the material and the stage
for the latest phases OF human progress
II il there that the problems which nave
baffied older nations. the processes as Yet
unaccOmplished. must be worked out