The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-09-09
MI: ARE CONCERNED.
IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONS VA.
TERWAYs OF INTEREST TO
EVERY CITIZEN.
VITAL FACTS ARE PRESENTED

Cost Of Getting Grain to Market Mate
rally Reduced Through Shipment
by Water-eenet'ts Distributed All
Over tho Country.
You may not know it-you probably
doot-but It il a matter Of importance
to you whether the waterways of the
United States are improved or not
and this Is true no matter who you
are, what your business is, or. what
part of the country you live In. It
may be that you are farmer and you
tell me that it is nonsense to say
that It can make any difference to
you whether the waterways of the
country are improved or not, because
you live away out west, miles away
from any river which is navigable now
or ever will be.
Well, admit that it is not as easy
to sec as the grain elevator down at
your railway station, but the benefit
10 there just the same-a real. sure
enough, dollars-and-cents benefit Wa
terways have already been of tremen-
dous advantage to the farmers of the
country and their further improve
ment will put more money into your
pockets and those Of your neighbors.
Take grain for an illustration. A
large part Of the grain raised in the
country Is shipped away from the
place where 1t Is grown, some for use
In the eastern states and some for ex.
port to Europe. Under these condi-
tons the price of grain is not fixed
at the nearest railway station. Your
wheat, for instance. Is worth just what
It will bring in Liverpool-less the
cost Of getting 1t there. You can see
at once that it makes a whole lot Of
difference to you how much 1t costs
to send your grain to New York or
Livorpool-and there's where the
waterway comes In.
Where Economy Comes In.
In 1908 the average cost of carrying
wheat from Chicago to Buffalo by lake
was one cent bushel, while the cost
by rail to New York was ILL., cents
almost twelve times as much, although
tho distance is the same. But grain
which Is to go all the way by water
must be transferred to canal boats at
Buffalo. Little canal boats drawn by
mules cannot carry stuff as cheaply
as big ships driven by steam, 30 the
through rate by water was SIX cents
bushel, little over half as much
as by rail. For the twenty years end
average, was lower than the rail rate
by 6.2 cents a bushel. On the ship
ments from Lake Superior the differ
ence was greater still, since Duluth is
less than 100 miles farther from New
York than Chicago is by water and
nearly 500 miles farther by rail, but
no comparative rates are published.
The beneficial effects of the water
way, through lowered cost Of transpor-
tation, are not confined to the grain
shipped from cities on the lakes, but
extend to practically all the grain
produced. The total production Of
the five principal cereals-wheat,
corn, oats, barley and rye-during the
past 40 years, was over 1000, 100000
bushels. If the average addition to
the value of this vast volume Of grain
was FIVE cents a bushel, and that
seems a moderate figure in view Of
the facts stated above, the total IL
more than $4,000, 900 ,ooo-nearly all Of
which has gone into the pockets Of the
farmers.
But while the beneficial effect Of the
waterways extends to q surprising dis
lance, a waterway close by exerts a
very much more direct and powerful
influence than one long way on. II
the Great Lakes and the Erie canal
have increased the value Of grain all
over the west, what do you suppose
would happen If the Mississippi, Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Red rivers were
30 improved that boats could run ev-
cry day In the year unless hindered
by ice?
Money Needed for Work.
The National Rivers and Harbors
congress Is working for the improve
ment of the rivers, harbors and water
ways In all parts Of the United States.
Chairman Alexander Of the rivers and
harbors committee. says that $S39, 000.-
900 will complete every project which
has been begun or has been recon-
mended by the army engineers. Five
hundred million dollars would prob
ably finish up all of these and all the
new projects which will be surveyed
and adopted within the next few years.
The average annual production of
the i've principal cereals, which dur
ing the last ten years has been 4.151.-
100000 bushels, has been steadily in
creasing and will probably continue
to increase for some time to come.
The complete improvement Of ali
our waterways would increase the
value Of every bushel of grain pro-
duosd by 1t least I'VE cents-my own
opinion IL that It would be more than
that.
But let ~ DO on the safe side Sup
pose We spend q billion dollars on
waterways instead Of a half billion;
suppose that the production Of grain
remains as 1t 10 instead OF Increasing:
and suppose that the price Of grain 10
Increased only ~ cents q bushel in
stead Of i've.
Even 80, with production stationary,
the expense doubled and the benedt
cut In half, the whole $1,000 ,000. 900
would be returned In less than ten