Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-10-17

ton between railroads and their
farmer and business men patrons,
| When our lines reached Bismarck
and waited here for funds with which
Ito push on west Of the river, there
wore nc farmers n tho country. The
railroad pioneered the country ana
opened il lip. Farming followed, ana
once given the means OF getting
products out to points where sales
could be effected, it grew and pros
rered. 1t would be quite idle for a
railroad officer to say that a railroad
could get along without the farmer.
1t is equally idle for the farmer TO
| suppose heecould get along without
the railroad. and. even more than
that: he should be supplied with the
best railroad facilities and with the
best equipment skill and money can
provide. There is, therefore. a close
INTERPRETATION. and the success and
profits Of each are bound up in the
success of the other.
North Dakota must still have many
more miles of railroad before the
development Of which the state is
capable will be completed. Directly
tributary to this city of Bismarck are
$50, 600 acres of land, in the counties
Of Mercer, Oliver. Morton, Emmons,
Kidder, Logan and Mcintosh, which
ere still more than - miles away
from rail transportation. Twelve
miles is about the limit of distance
that a team can traverse to market,
md return home the same day. In
the state as a whole there are 4,S0O,.
900 acres so situated, or an area near
w as large as Mclean. Billings and
Stutsman counties. which are three
Of tire larger counties Of the state.
twenty-five counties have land SO
cituated. which must ultimately be
brought into closer touch with the
railroad, to enjoy its best develop.
ment. D. &&'@&.& A@t
The government estimates through
its office of public roads, that the
cost Of wagon transportation to the
farmer, over the average dirt roads
of the United States, is about Is
cents per ton per mile. This is 500
FOR hauling a ton and a half of wheat
10 miles to the, elevator. For less
han this sum the railroad will pick
up a ton of grain here and haul it 450
niles to the Minneapolis or Duluth
terminals, and deliver it. at the ele-
vators there, providing the road to
haul it on, the motive power and
equipment, and taking chances on
any loss that may occur. During the
past few years the cost of living has
1een going up, but not the cost OF
all transportation to North Dakota
farmers. Grain rates are about one
fifth lower than they were 10 years
ago. From this city the rate is near
ly %one.fourth lower than 10 years ago.
The saving thus made is a saving
that goes directly into the pockets OF
the farmers, for their prices at North
Dakota points are the terminal prices
'ess freight.
For what he gets in return, the
farmer or business man of today
makes an excellent investment in
what he pays for freight. On all OF
the railways of the United States in
1888 the average freight rate was a
small fraction more than one cent per
ton per mile. Last year the general
average was only a fraction more
than seven-tenths Of q cent per ton
ner mile. During the intervening pc
Rod the general level OF freight rates
has dropped downward nearly 26 per
cent. How very small the freight
rate is can be illustrated by saying
that for the price of a two-cent news
paper, the average rate on the North
ern Pacific railway last Year would
have moved a ton Of freight two and
a quarter miles. or the 25 cents that
the government says it costs the
farmer to move a ton one mile over
dirt roads, the railroads would have
moved a ton 80 miles.
Auto a Convenience.
The automobile has proved q SPLEEN
The rates for automobile t~ranspOrta-
ton are about 10 times the legal rate
Of fare on the passenger trains oper-
ated on the North Dakota railroads.
The farmer rides or hauls to mar
,ket over a public road which costs
him nothing for maintenance. He
does not have to invest his money in
buying tight Of way or paying for up
keep. Quite the reverse is true OF
the railroad. These lines in North
Dakota have been a heavy expense
since the first day. the rails were laid.
The country has grown rapidly and
the demands upon railroads have
greatly increased. The rails we or
ieinallv laid would bear no compari-
son with the heavy steel required for
main line use today. The original
roadbed has been replaced bv the re-
..noval of curves and reduction of
grades required to provide for faster
and heavier trains. The process Of
improving the roadbed is practically
continuous. From the standpoint of
The farmer and the business man
these facts are interesting. hut bv no
inears as important as the fact that,
as these changes have occurred sim
r!taneousiv with the downward move
r,ent Of Freight rates. thr has also
occurred a steady Improvement in
the quality, regularity and efficiency
Of both freight and passenger service.
! More and better passenger trains
than before move daily over bette
and safer tracks. Freight is handled
more expeditiously than yer before
land for the prompt movement OF
grain, especially, the railroads have
made very heavy investments in ter.
| alinal property. The people Of the
| JIni}ad States have asked for q high