Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-01-25
ADDRESS OF
HOWARD ELLIOTT
GLIMPSE INTO THE NEAR Flu.
"a
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ,sSs
OF RAILROADS AND
FARMERS

One of the most effective and time
ly addresses delivered during the
fTri-state Grain Growers Convention
at Fargo was by President Howard
Elliott of the Northern Pacific, who
spoke on "The Relation Between
Railroads and Farming" He hand
led his subject in forceful manner
and his address commanded the
strictest attention of the large au-
dience that heard him. Mr.. Elliott
said in part that by 1850 the Unit
ed States will have, with its present
ratio of increase, 2O0,000,0 900 popu-
lation with doubled demand for
farm products. To meet this de-
mand it will be necessary to increase
the product of each acre of land one
per cent a year or one-tenth for each
succeeding ten years. In the Unit
ed States there remain only about
76,O0O,0O0 acres of arabic land not
in farms. 1t is fortunate that North
Dakota's total land area unoccupied
and tilable is so large, there being
only 43.5 per cent in farms. South
Dakota has but 1922 per cent and
Minnesota 3S per cent of its land
in farms. North Dakota yet has a.
bout 1O,0O0,O00 acres that can be
profitably put into plow land. Mr..
Elliott said that for the ten years
ending with 1910, the increase in
population in North Dakota was a.
bout 81 per cent and the increase In
farm land acreage about 83 per
cent, while the number of farms in
creased 64 per cent. The demand
for land in the three states above
mentioned resulted in an increase of
wealth values amounting to the sur
prising sum of $1,730,22S.000,.
He reviewed the building of rail-
roads in North Dakota which be-
gan in 1871 when the N. P. reached
Fargo. He spoke of the close busi-
ness relations between the farmer
and the railroad and the dependence
of one upon the other. He declared
that the railroad must charge the
farmers only a fair rate, for the sue
cess Of each business depended on the
fair treatment received by the other.
Continuing, Mr.. Elliott said:
Rates are Lower
In North Dakota the rates on all
grain are about one-ffth. lower than
they were ten years ago. On twelve
bushel wheat from 1000 acres ship
ped from Bismarck to the twin cities
or Duluth, the saving in freight to
the farmer is 81, a ton. or more than
enough in one year to buy the farmer
two Of the best eight-foot grain bind
ers with couple of hay rakes thrown
in. In the country as whole, the
average freight rate has gone down
about one-fourth since 1888, very
largely through the voluntary action
Of the railroads themselves. On the
freight tonnage shipped over the rail-
roads in 1910 this meant the very
large saving of $615,928,000.
A bushel of wheat sold for about
62.s cents in Minneapolis in, 1895.
That 62 cents at that time paid for
the transportating of a barrel Of -four
161 miles back from Minnesota.
A bushel of wheat sold for 81 In
Minneapolis in 1911, and that 81
paid for transporting q barrefsof
-four from Minneapolis to North Da-
kota 436 miles. In other words.
the farmers bushel Of wheat in 1911
would buy nearly Q "a times az much
flour transportation as in 1895. al
though the wages paid by the rail-
road and the cost of most materials
usesd by it are very much higher
now than In 1896.
The present freight rate is very
SMALL. How small 1t is can be better
understood when one realizes that
for rs cents, what 1t costs according
to the United States department of
agriculture for farmer to move q
one-ton load by wagon one mile, the
Northern Pacific railway, at its aver
age rate last year will move the one
ton load 27.2 miles. For the cost
s Of 2-cent postage stamp 1t will
move q ton about two and quarter
= 80 \ -.