Arizona republican., 1911-11-20

gress has been expressed in resou-
 tions and transmitted to the president
 Of the United States and appropriate
 committees of the senate and house
 Of representatives.
 l When the congress first met in this
 city 20 years ago the trans Mississippi
 country had a population of l6,64S. 7sI
 Since then its population has grown
 to 27,5O4,541-a splendid increase of 65 per cent, while the percentage of
 growth in the eastern section. notwith-
 standing the large gain from immigra-
 ton. has been considerably less. This
 section has shown in this short period
 of time the magnificent gain in popu-
 lation of II million people.
 In the production of primary wealth
 its percentage of increase is much
 greater than in population. Last year | the amount of wheat raised in the i United States was 692 million bushels l-worth 625 million dollars-of which,
 459,171.lO0 bushels was produced west of the Mississippi river-practically two- thirds of the bread supply of the country. In the country east of the | Mississippi there was produced only 23I ,596, 900 bushels-abOut one-third of the total crop. The year before this congress was organized the five states of Missouri. Arkansas. Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma produced a cotton crop worth 110 million dollars. but in 1910 there was produced in this same terri | tory a cotton crop worth il5 million dollars-a phenomenal increase of nearly 400 per cent.
 Practically all of the gold and silver produced in the United States is mined in the trans Mississippi sec tion. Last year. gold to the value of Ss6, ,O55. .314 and silver of $S0.476,Ss6 was produced in the states represented in this congress.
 In 1890 there was 71.52S miles of railway west of the river. but today our railway mileage has been in creased to 116,256-an enormous gain of 63 per cent. constituting practically one-half of the entire railway mileage in America. The most important American railway enterprise at this time is the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient railway, a short line from Kan sas City to the Gulf of California. The pl tIllS ipdb 4S bi't7i 'o7iiie e rapidly and when completed it will shorten the distance nearly 1000 miles from the manufacturing cities in the Mississippi valley tO ocean going steamships in the South American and Asiatic trade. Another important en- terprise is the Kenefick lines in okla hOma and Texas, also under conStruc- tion All men understand the import ant part railroads play in the develop ment of the resources of our country, thereby increasing values and aug menting the national wealth. The cost of marketing the cOuntry's pro- ducts determines their value to the producer. and this applies to water transportation and good roads as well as to railroads. Western railroads have been factors of the greatest inn portance in extending the outlines of civilization during the past two de- cades, and today this section of coun- try with a population of 21 million people, has more miles of railway than the four greatest commercial nations of Europe-Great Britain, Germany, France and Austria Hungary-whose total railway mileage is only 115,459 miles. although their combined popuia- tion is more than 200 million people.
 The trans Mississippi congress has been influential in promoting this marvellous development by repeatedly emphasizing the great natural wealth of this empire and advertising the ad vantages for profitable investment of capital as we'll as q location for homes. During its entire history the congress has been a constructive influence, rather than destructive one. Its in fluence in an educational way has been far reaching and of the greatest value. The measures which it originated and strongly indorsed. which have become accomplished facts. are the national bankruptcy law. the Pacific cable. national irrigation act, She Panama canal, creating the department of com merce and labor. annexation of Ha- waii, extending the powers of the in- terstate commerce commission, and aiding in great exposition projects at Seattle, Portland, omaha and St. Louis
 Daniel Webster was probably the greatest American statesman of his time and is one of the revered figures
 in the earlier history of America. Yet so narrow was his vision that in the senate of the United States he de- scribed the trans Mississippi section as a vast and worthless area-a re- zion of savages and wild beasts. which was not and never could be of any value to the country at large" In less than 50 years from this region have been carved great and prosperous states and civilization developed which is unsurpassed. Its resources and productive wealth are almost be- yond calculation and property values have already been created amounting to many billion dollars. The day is not far distant when the center of population will cross the Mississippi and governmental policies will be di rected by the people of the west. In the region represented by this con- gress there is room and to spare for the millions who will come. If all the people of the earth, including Europe, Africa and the teeming millions of Asia, and the islands of the sea, could all be brought together in the trans