Arizona republican., 1911-06-06
SAYS SWAMP DRAINAGE
 IS \ NECESSITY RAILROAD OFFICIAL FAVORS RE- ClAMATiON OF LANDS. Says No Other Line of Endeavor Of fers Such Greta Reward.

Chicago, Ill.,, June 3.-(Special Cor respondence of The Republican, w L. Park. vice president of the Illi- nois Central railway, views the na- ton as on the eve of a new era in agricultural development because of the possibilities of reclamation in the areas of swamp and overflowed lands. Long connected with the Union Pa cific railway in the west as an off cial. where he was closely identified with the economic developments that began to gain impetus there a few years ago. and just returned to Chi cago from a tour of the Mississippi valley and in Panama. where the gov ernment has installed a successful system of drainage. MT Park is con ceded to be an authority on the sub ject of natural resource development. The railway official is identified this year with the work of the National Irrigation congress. which has its nineteenth sessions here in December. and he considers this organization to be valuable medium for the further expansion of swamp land develop ment Of present conditions in these unoccupied areas and of their prob able future, he says:
 "In my judgment there is not now. nor can there be- in the future. any development work that is so fraught with advantageous possibilities as is the drainage of our swamp lands.
 Viewed from the standpoint of transportation lines. the nation. the
 g,,l CT. the promise is not only alluring. but absolutely certain of successful cOnsummation.
 ITO be successful a transportation line. regardless of whether it is a dray. a street car, a steamboat, or a steam rail line. must have two things first. rates that will return a fair profit after all expenses and better ments have been paid: second. ton mage.
 Tt is an axiom that the more busi- ness a transportation line does, be the profit per ton per mile ever so small. the more money goes into it's treasury that may be classed as met earnings" It will therefore be seen that tonnage is a vital necessity to the life of the line; hence 1t Is of the utmost importance to the trans portation lines that the various sec tions of the country through which they run shall be productive and prosperous-the prosperity being in ratio to the number of acres culti- vated and the productivity of the soil More acres cultivated means more marketable products: more products means more tonnage: more tonnage means more money. and more money to a transportation line means the development of the property, inn provement in service. installation of safety devices. and a general distri- button of money. which tends to the comfort and happiness of it's em- ployes. and the general surrounding country
 When We stop to consider the mil lions of acres of land that in their present condition are worse than val ueless, because they are not only dor mant, inactive and non-producing but are ruthlessly exacting their toll of pestlence and death: lands that if drained would be so productive that the contiguous transportation lines would have all the tonnage they could handle. and there would still he tons left for those not vet constructed. it seems to me the duty of all transpOr-