The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-11-14
THE GROWTH OF
THE GREAT WEST
IN TWENTY YEARS
President Fleming of Trans
Mississippi Congress Out
lines Development
SENATOR ALOR|CH OUTLINED
PLANS OF CURRENCY REFORM
Secretary Of War StimsOn Discussed
the Work Being Done by His De-
partnent OF the Federal Govern.
ment-Decisions Binding in Morals.


ment-Decisions Binding in Morals.
Kansas City. Mo-, Nov. l4.-Secre-
tary Of War Henry r. Stimson and
former United States Senator Nelson
w. Aldrich. chairman of the monetary
commission, were the principal speak
ers at the opening session Of the
tWenty-second annual Trans-Missis-
sippi Commercial congress which be-
gan today. Secretary Stimson dis
cussed the affairs of his department
and Senator Aldrich outlined his ideas
OF currency reform under the head
OF Currency Legislation"
Seven hundred delegates were pres.
ent when Arthur e. Trumbex of Mus.
kegee. chairman of the executive com
mitted, called the convention to order
with the declaration that the conclu.
sions OF the congress should he moral
ly binding upon every western con-
gressman and senator at Washington, ;"
Alter the address of welcome by
United States Senator VIM. j. Stone
and Governor Hadley. President Fred
w. Fleming of Kansas City delivered
mis- annual address. Among other
things he said:
The first Trans-Mississipp con-
gress was called by the governor of
Kansas under authority of a Joint
resolution Of the legislature of that
state, and met in this city in April.
ieso. IN the fall OF that year meet
ing was held in Topeka in. the inter-
est of deep water harbor of the
Gulf of Mexico and later, meetings
IN the interest of that project were
held in Omaha and Galveston. In
May. 1891. these different bodies unit
CD with the commercial congress at
general meeting held in Denver and
annual sessions hae been held ever
since.
Four congresses have assembled
on the Pacific coast, two in San Fran
cisco and one each in Portland and
Seattle: one session met in st. Paul,
IN tne northeastern section, and five
meetings have been held In the inter-
mountain country-one each in. Oc.
den. Salt Lake City and Cripple
Creek and two in Denver. -Four con-
crosses have met in the southland
one each In New Orleans, Houston.
Galveston and San Antonio. st. Louis
mas been favored with two meetings
and other sessions have been held in
the interior of the Trans Mississippi
empire-one each in Wichita and
Muskogee. two in Omaha and in
cluding the present Twenty-second
session. three congresses have been
held In Kansas City.
The congress was formed because
the people Of Kansas believed a con-
gress OF this kind was needed. At
that time our representation in the
teGerai congress was small and from
a lack OF information in each state
of the needs of it's sister common.
weaitns' there was lack of co-opera-
uon IN support OF western measures
among our senators and representa-
tives in congress. The founders of
the commercial congress did not ac-
knowledge or feel that the trans-M Mis-
sissippi states were dependent unon
the government for support or main.
tenance. but through a congress Of
this character hoped to obtain more
Just consideration in the appropria- :
ttons Of public money.
ihe past annual sessions have been
wei attended by representative citi-
.ens OF the different states and terri
tories and following a full discussion
OF the various subjects of western de-.
Neiopment the sentiment of the con-
sress mas been expressed in resolu.
uons and transmitted to the president
OF the United States and appropriate
committees of the senate and house.
Its Rapid Growth.
when the congress first met in this
city twenty years ago. the trans Mis-
sissippi country had e. population of
i6.64S,791. Since then it's population
has grown to 27.504.54l--a splendid
increase Of IS per cent while the pcr.
centaEe OF growth in the eastern sec.
tion, notWithstandin the large gain
from immigration. has been .considar.
ably less. This section has shown in
this short period of time the magni-
hcent gain in population of eleven
million people.
In the production Of primary
wealth. it's percentage of Increase is
much greater than in population. Last
year the amount Of wheat raised in
the United States was 6a2 million
bushels--worth 625 million dollars
produced west of the Mississippi river
two-thirds of the bread
supply Of the country. In the country
east of the Mississippi there was nro.
duced only R31.596.OO0 bushels
about one-third OF the total crop. The
year before this congress was organ
lied. the five states Of Missouri, Ar
kansas. Iowa, Texas and: Oklahoma
produced q cotton crop worth 1l0
million dollars. but in 1910 there was
produced In this same territory a cot
ton crop worth AIS million dollars
a phenomenal increase Of nearly 400
per cent.
practically all Of the gold and sill.
YER produced in the United States is
mined in the tran Mississippi section.
Last year. gold to the value of s96.-
055,214 and silver of $3O.476.S96 was
produced In the states represented in
this congress.
"1n 1890 there was 71.3es miles Of
railway west Of the river hut TODAY
our railway mileage has been in.
creased to 116.256-an enormous
gain Of So per cent. constituting
One-half of the entire rail.
way mileage in America. The most
American railway enter
prise at this time is the Kansas CITY.
Mexico & Orient railway. short line
from Kansas City to the Gulf of Cal
ifornia. The building OF this road is
rapidly and when com.
pleted it will shorten the distance
nearly 1000 miles from the manufac-
turing cities In the Mississippi valley
to ocean going steamships in the