The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-17

every reasonable effort to maintain our foreign trade and increase it. he Is new ertheless much more concerned over the continued and greatly increased develop ment of our agriculture interests. He does not entirely agree with those who see in a great extension of our foreign trade the best impulses for the maintenance and increase of prosperity in the United States. The soil and what 1t may be made 10 produce. the certainty that with n the next 3o years the population of the United States is likely to be found by the census to be approximately 2oooo'oD people, and the imperative need of so cul,iy ating the soil as to make it possible to feed thiss great population. are eondi- tions which Mr Hill has frequently said should be kept constantly in mind by those whose purpose it is to maintain prosperity in the United States
 Should we acquire-as in fact we seem likely to do within the next 15 or 20 years as great foreign market for our man ufsctured commodities as England now possesses, nevertheless beneficial as mar kets of that kind will be, they will still be dependent upon the ability of the United States to keep it's food production Tn per
  and at the same time have a surplus of agricultural products for exportation.
 MT. Hill and the Pacific
 MT. Hill, some years ago, accomplished probably more than any one man to de- veiop our Pacific commerce. When the gI eat steamships which he caused to be built in the ship yards at New London, Conn.,. were launched many of those who witnessed this spectacle confessed that they wondered where Mir Hill would find the commerce upon the Pacific slope which would furnish transportation sufficient to make reasonable profit for ocean-going charges certain He knew where he would find that transportation. It was to con sst chiefly of the leading agricultural products of the northwest These were to be transported to the piers at Seattle. ard there placed upon these great Pacific sailing steamers whose destination was to be ports in the far east.
 In order to compete with the merchants of other countries it was vital that trans portation rates should be established which would make 1t possible to lay down these American products at prices in the far eastern markets which would com mand these markets. There was no doubt in Mir Hills mind about return cargoes. Silks mating and othep articles pro duced by Japan and tea, Chinese silk and other articles produced by China, he was sure would be sent back in exchange for the American products.
 Figuring on Rates
 Careful computation of what the trans pcrtation rates should be if there We're to be successful competition in markets of the Japan and Chinese seaboard was fol- lowed by fixing such rates. Speedily the experimental stake was passed. The for egn commerce at Seattle increased great ly. The railroads were gaining large ti transportation and the agricultural pro- duoers of the northwest were glad to find large market for their products in the far east.
 That is the kind of foreign commerce which Mr. Hill looks upon as the best from all points of view for the United States to establish. He was compelled to abandon this policy by reason of the ac- tion of tine authorities at Washington, who decided that the railroad rates were lot established in conformity with the statutes.
 By reason of this decision the United States is not likely to gain any larger markets for her agricultural products and the products of her forests than We have held in the past. If, therefore, we are to increase our foreign trade it seems to be essential that some concentrated and cooperative effort be made, and it is for this purpose that the foreign trade council has been organized.
 In the field of foreign trade develop ment, MT. Farrell has demonstrated such ability and has gained such success as