Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1910-09-29
COSTS ONLY oNE-sIXTH TO ONE.
TENTH AS MUCH AS BY
RAIL.
TRANSFORMATIONS BIG TOLL.
American People Annually Pay Out
Three Times as Much for Trans
portatlon as They Pay for support
Of the Government.
Do you know

That the people Of the United States
pay out each year about three times
as much in transportation taxes, that
is, for the carriage of freight and pas
sengers, as they pay in taxes for the
support of government, national, state
and local?
That transportation affects the price
of everything that everybody buys,
sells, eats, wears or uses in any way
whatever-air, water and sunshine ex.
cepted?
That cheap transportation benefits
both the producer and the consumer,
making wheat and cotton higher and
-four and cloth lower at one and the
same timer
That the cheapest known transpor-
tation is water transportation, costing,
on the average, from one-siXth to one
tenth as much as transportation by
rail?
That the direct saving on the goods
actually carried by water in the
United States is over S55O,OO0,0O0 a
year?
That railways always make lower
rates when subject 70 the competition
of waterways than where such compe.
tition does not exist?
That the indirect saving, thus
caused, is probably as large as the di.
rect saving given above?
That both the direct alA indirect
saving would be largely increased by
the further Improvement of our water.
ways?
That waterways always increase the
profits of the railways with which they
come into competition? For the rea-
son that waterways, by giving cheap
transportation for raw materials actu-
ally create both industry and com
MERGE? AS is indicated by the fact
That in 1900 there was only one city
in the United States, with population
of 100000 or over. which was not ..
Gated on navigable waterway? Al
further
How Frankfort Benefited.
That Frankfort, Germany, grew
, more in the twenty years after he
River Main was canalized than it lad
grown in the two hundred years be.
fore? And again
That Germany, which is nearly co..
600 square miles smaller than Texas,
but has one of the finest waterway
systems in the world, had in 1908 a
foreign commerce greater than that Of
the United States by over S500,000Y.
| 600?
That throughout the civilized world
! the largest cities, the densest popula.
| ton, the busiest and most prosperous
| people are to be found along naviga.
BILE waterways?
That the surest and speedlest way
to develop the resources Of the nation
| and every state and section thereof,
to increase the growth of every city
| and community in the country to pro.
mote the prosperity of every interest,
including the railroads, and of every
citizen, east, west, north and south, is
to improve all our waterways as fast
and as far as we can?
That money used for the improve.
ment of waterways, wisely planned
and honestly constructed, is not an
expenditure but an investment, which
| Will pay ulfluSuu VI hL lSdSJ 1VV pei
cent a year?
Provision for Funds.
That the benefits which would re-
suit from the comprehensive improve
ment of our waterways, and the losses
which would follow our failure to
make such improvement, are so enor
nous, that funds should be provided
by the issuance of bonds-as has been
done by railways-so that the work
may be begun at once and finished as
soon as possible?
That the national government claims
exclusive jurisdiction and exercises
supreme control over all navigable wa
terways? And therefore
That 1t depends entirely on the con
gress Of the United States whether
the work Of creating a great nationa
system of waterways shall be done a.
all and how soon 1t shall be finished
That the vote Of the member Of con
gress from your district will help tt
decide the policy of the government
with regard to waterways?
That the action Of congressman II
influenced by the wishes of their con
stituents, when they know what thos'
wishes areI
That you have the right to ask thu
candidates for congress in your dis
trict to state their position on thi
question now, before the election?
That YOU are blind to your own In