VOL. LXIII
—-
INDIANAPOLIS, JANUARY 11, 1908.
NO- 2
TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM.
The Outlet Through Natural and Artificial Waterways, Connecting
the Great Lakes and Rivers
by Canals.
The Whole Country at Last Aroused
Over the Matter.
Nearly a year ago the Indiana
Farmer prepared the outline map
of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
shown again on this page, and published it along with tbe reasons why
the country should awaken to the
solution of the transportation problem that confronts all the industries
of the central stntes. These interim' states produce all the surplus
agriculture, and about all the surplus products of the factory that
must find their way to the ocean
for the markets of the world, as
well as to domestic markets, and the
Farmer is more than pleased to
note that, since its presentation of
this matter nearly a year ago, tin-
whole country has awakened to the
importance of it.      Our own readers
will  remember the letters from 1 -
pie in tliis and other states whicli
we published a few weeks after we
lirst presented this matter, and how
strongly tliey commended the great
work proposed by the general government. It will be remembered
also that during the pjast summer
President Koosevelt appointed a
Waterways Commission to look into
it Recently an important convention to consider the subject was beld
jit Memphis, Tennessee, at which
the President delivered an able address. All these things have combined to arouse the people of the
Central West and South to an earnest consideration of the whole subject.
Reasons for the Crest Work.
In the article of the Farmer sif
nearly a year ago it quoted from
railway presidents, especially from
Hon. Theodore P. Shonts, chairman
or the Panama Canal Commissi..n
and from 1'resident James J. Hill,
of the Grent Northern, urging the
fact that while railway shipping
tonnage in the past ten years hail
increased 120.4 per cent, the mileage
of railways had increased only 22.7
per cent, and showing the cause of
the delay and congestion of the
freighting so mueh complained of by
all classes of shippers. Sir. Shonts
in a strong letter, urging the importance of the matter, and referring to
the inability of the railways to
transport   our   surplus   said:
"Notwithstanding our phenomenal growth in population, our capacity to produce in both fielsl and fm -
tory has mors than kept pace with
onr growth in numbers. If our
prosperity is t.p continue, we must
have wide markets for onr gpppppls.
What better tielib- for exploitation
exist than the territory of onr next
door neighbors in Central and South
America? But while it is necessary to hnve the markets in which
to sell onr floods. " is eo'ially necessary to have the facilities with
which to transport thein. I mean
by this that the volume of our export trade to-dfcy is seriously hampered by the overtaxed condition of
onr railway, especially nt terminal
points; in fact, it is a serious ques
tion whether it has not reaehesl its
limit ander present conditions,
Many s.i' ili.- important railway sys-
|p ms in their sls'sire tpi provide more
adequats accommodations are going
so far in tlieir efforts to raise money
for this purpose as to well-nigh imperil their credit.
Port terminals are already so
•Carre   anil   valuable     as   to   reinler
adequate relief In that direction
Improbable,      at    any     ressonsble
i ppst. It is therefore suggested that
there tie created a vast interior harbor reaching from Chicago to the
f.uir."
The proposal is to make n nine-
foot channel in the Ohio river from
Pittsburg tss Cairo, and a fourteen-
fppiii channel by canal and the Mississippi   liver   from   Chicago   to   the
Calf of Mexico. This is the outline of the proposed work by the
general government. Appropriations of ifoO.OOO.OOO annually for a
few yenrs woulil  accomplish  it.
Great Interest Now Shown.
As showing ths' grest interest
now taken in this proposed undertaking. President Boosevelt has
called a convent! sin of the Govern-
ors of the States, and others, to be
hehl at Washington, nexl May.
Many C^iveruana have written him
that they wnulil attend this convention and among them our own
Governor, whose letter is as follows:
"Executive Department,
"State of Indiana.
"Mv  Pear  Mr.   President:
"I hnve the honor to acknowledge
receipt sif yonr favor advising me Of
visnr csll to the Governors of the
States and Territories to meet at
the White House Slav IS, 14 nnd
15, for the purpose of conferring
with ynu upon the conservation of
the natural resources of the country,
an.l inviting me to be present.
"I   shall   deem   it   a   privilege   to
take   part   in   this   conference,     and
unless   precluded   by   unforseen   circumstances  I  shall  attend.       I   will
niso tnke pleasure in  selecting three
citizens   from   this   Stnte  as  my   as-
sociste*.       I am in full sympathy
with tiie pitrptose which hns prompted  the call  for this  conference,  nnd
if   I  can   be  of  any   service  at  any
time you may command me.
Very truly vours,
"J.   Fit ANK   HANLY.
"The  Hon.  Theodore   Koosevelt.
"President  of the  T'nitcpl   Stalls.
The Great Field Interested.
As further showing the interest
now taken in the matter by our own
stnte. a convention is called to be
held in Indianapolis to eonsiiler the
matter on Janunry 21 aud 22 inst.
Many persons sif national reputation
will tnke pnrt in this. In a letter regretting his inability to attend,
but strongly endorsing the pPrpOSe
of the csinvention. President J.
J. Hill, of the Great Northern Rail-
wny.  says:
"When business again resumes
its former volume, the delnys nnd
freight blockades which have exist-
s'pI fppr several years past must
again occur until some permanent
outlet has been furnished." Mr.
Hill also says there should be a
channel 15 lis 1JJ feel sleep from St.
Louis  to  New  Orleans.
As already stated, the territory
Included in the outline map em.
braces chiefly the great surplus producing Slates in agriculture and
manufacturing, whicli are ins reusing the output in both fields of industry by leaps and bounds. Here
we are  in  the interior far from the