Mexico Missouri message., 1915-12-30


he says that in this country the rail
ways have become the prize factors
of our industrial life, or quoting him
verbatim, he says they are the "sine
vur non" of our Industrial being.
Lord Bacon, in his writings of
some 800 years ago, said, "There be
three things which make country
great and prosperous, fertile
col, busy work shops and easy con
veyance for man and his things
ff;m Cne place to anothe;
Has it occurred to you that we
of this country occupy singular
position to the rest of the world in
the greatness and diversity of our
commerce?
New England, far to the north
east, because of perfectly natural
conditions, namely that their soil
was too poor and weak to support
an agricultural career, they were
forced to maintain themselves in
the pursuit of manufacture, and
they have become not only the great
est manufacturing center of this
country but of the world as well,
and yet that great manufacturing
section, outside of their water pow
er, produces not one of the raw mat
erials or necessities of maintaining
themselves.
In the central East we find the
greatest coal deposits in the world.
We also have the greatest steel and
iron industries of our time.
Further to the south, because of
the diversed climate conditions, we
have the great cotton and rice fields,
not alone sufficient to supply the
wants of our great country but mil
lions for export.
In Wisconsin, Minnesota and Mich
gan we have the great ore deposits,
even greater at this time than is
known, from which to supply the
great steel and iron industries of the
East.
Lying between the Ohio River and
Rocky Mountains we have, as far as
is now known, the greatest agricul-
tural center of the world.
In the Pacific Northwest we have
the timber regions and to the south
west aud south are our fruit fields.
Each and everyone of the sectieus
have that which they do not need
and must transport their supplies to
some other section who must have it
New England must send her manu-
featured products to all parts of the
world, at least to every state and
county in our country. Pennsylva-
MIA must send her steel and coal
products to all parts of this country,
particularly her steel, and supplies
more than one-third of the Central
West from her coal fields. The
cotton and rice of the South must
move to New England to supply the
great textile Industries. We of the
West must ship to the East, and
even to Europe, practically so per
cent of our overbountiful supply. So
with our timber in the Northwest
and our fruits from the South and
Southwest, and that each and every
state may realize the proper economy
in the carrying on of this great COM
merce our railroad systems have
grown to. their present magnitude.
without the railroads what would
be your land value in Missouri? 1t
is clear that they would be what they
were before the railroads came, SIS
to $40 per acre instead of 500 to
$125 per acre. What would be the
value of bushel OF North or South
Dakota wheat? Not worth the rails
ing, for you would have no need of
it. What would be the value of
your great lead deposits? Practical
ly nothing. What as to the timber
of Arkansas, Missouri, Washington
and Oregon?
| small amount nf this might he