The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1922-09-29
Election Issues This Year Clear,
Says 0'Connor In Keynote Talk
(Continued from last I week.

T.. le .,3g%$ - "a Il s5@.sor,tv
! (Continued from last week)
! The basic industry in North Dakota
lis agriculture. Our coal mines and
manufacturing interests are rapidly
gaining recognition and adding to the
wealth of the state Our state pro-
duces food and clothing. Producing
the essentials of life we have fixed
place in the economic structure. The
prosperity of the farm is reflected in
every industry. There is no such
thing as merchants against farmers.
Any condition, climatic or statutory,
farmers diminishes the profits OF the
merchant. The merchant cannot sell
if the farmer cannot buy. There can
be no prosperity in North Dakota un-
less the farmer is prosperous. The
farmer is entitled to a return for his
labor which will pay all operat ng ex-
penses of the fern, a reasonable rate
of interest on his investment and a
fair wage to himself and wife. There
are three factors which will contribute
to this result; production, transporta-
tion and sale. s.s u.
Thirty-three years ago, last March,
my father purchased an 800-acre farm
in Grand Forks county, four miles
southeast of Thompson. My father
and mother and eight children went to
that farm. 1t was a typical North
Dakota farm about half wild, half An-
der cultivation and all of it covered
with mortgage. we worked that
farm ever since, or shell say that
farm worked us. Besides this farm,
my brothers own and operate about
1000 more acres of land Therefore
II speak to you with some little ex-
perience in farm. problems. Anything
that will make your farms more pros
porous will bring more prosperity and
happiness to our farms, to my two
brothers with their families who live
upon their farms Grand Forks coun-
ty, and to my self personally. There
fore, our POLLEN is the same.
Access to World Markets
Next to production, the questions Of
transportation and sale challenge our
attention. The rates for handling,
storage and carrying charges must be
reasonable We sell our wheat upon
a world market and we come in COM
petition with the wheat from Argen-
tine. The Argentine has much
more advantageous location from the
standpoint of transportation. The Ar
gentine farmer is not over 200 miles
from the seaboard; the North Dako-
ta farmer is about 1900 miles from
New York harbor. Nearly I'll of cur
wheat destined for foreign markets
travels the Great Lakes from Duluth
to Buffalo using the rail and canal
systems and then down to New York
where terminal charges must be paid
and where the facilities are inade-
quate. The freight charge on a bushel
J Of wheat carried by water either from
+, Chicago or Duluth, 1000 miles, to
Buffalo is two cents or less. Add IL
cents from Buffalo to New York or
Boston making total of II cents per
bushel. II we construct the st. Law
renee deep waterway this wheat in
stead OF being diverted at Buffalo
win go down the St. Lawrence past
Montreal and into the world markets
Our best experts estimate that to
send wheat by way Of Montreal the ad-
Editionalso cost would be 3 or 81 cents
AS the rates from New York and
Montreal to Liverpool are the same,
tulS ulSduS d GdVlu6 Olft !SVtTy&ED EDuSu0l
of wheat to the farmers OF 10 cents.
1t is generally agreed that water rates
on the Great Lakes average less than
one mill per ton mile, while the rail
rate is Is mills. If our wheat was
shipped through the St: Lawrence
deep water way, 1t would be $50 miles
nearer the Liverpool maj ket.
Itssis estimated that the total cost
Of this improvement, ,weuld be $780,
100000. The bonds which would be
paid for in two ways, first, BY navig-
alton charges and, secondly, by. the
! sale Of electricity developed from
iwaterpower. 1t is estimated that the
total power which is capable Of de-
yelopment upon the st. Lawrence Is
equivalent to that to be produced by
!! 80. .0eQ, ,000, tons Of coal; and to pro-
duce this amount Of coal and deliver
| 1t takes the: &: f,bor Of approximately
100000 men. This power II developed
can be made available to all of the
New England states except q part of
Maine and all Of New York and the cost
would be greatly less than the cost
iof power produced from coal.
II rail tonnage continues to increase