The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-09-20

al 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 It costs
to send your grain to New York or
Liverpool-and there's where tbs
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 III cents
almost twelve times as much, although
the 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, so the
through rate by water was six cents
a bushel, little over half as much
us by rail. For the twenty years end
ing with 1908 the water rate. on the
average, was lower than the rail rate
by CO cents a bushel. On the ship
ments from Lake Superior the differ
ence was greater still, since Duluth 10
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 10000 100000
bushels. If the average addition to
the value of this vast volume of grain
was FIVE cents bushel. and that
seems a moderate figure in view OF
the facts stated above, the total IL
more than s6,0OO000, 0,000-nearly all OF
which has gone into the pockets OF the
farmers.
But while the beneficial effect OF the
waterways extends to surprising dis
tance, waterway close by eXerts Q
very much more direct and powerful
influence than one long way of. II
the Great Lakes and the Erie canal
have increased the value of grain all
over the west. what do you suppose
would happen II the Mississippi, Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Red rivers were
so improved that boats could run ev.
cry day in the year unless hindersd
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 1899 9000.-
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 five principal cereals, which dur
ing the last ten years has been 4.151, |
600. 900 bushels. has been steadily In
ereasing and will probably continue
TO increase for some time 20 come.
The complete improvement OF an |
our waterways would increase the
value OF every bushol OF grain pro-
duced by AZ least Ave cents-my own |
opinion is that Il would be more than |
that
But let Bs be on the safe side Sup
pose We spend Q billion dollars on |
waterways instead OF half billion:
sup ose that the production OF grain
remains as It is instead OF increasing;
and suppose that the price OF grain 10
increased only 2ls cents a bushsl b.
stead OF Ave.
Even so. with production stationary. |
the expense doubled and the benefit
cut in half. the whole $1,000. .000. 900 |
would be returned In less than ten
years in the increased price Of grsia
alone.