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Show The Only Way fl 'T'HE government Is building a railroad in H Alaska. It was afraid that ir constructed by M private capital a monopoly would bo created, H some few men would become too rich; their ex- H ample would be bad and make poor men dlscon- H tented. That exact justice might bo done Uncle H Sam went down Into his trousers pocket, H pulled out a roll, and said "Here are a few mil- H lions of tho people's money; as a whole they do not know anything about big investments, so I H Avill use this money to build the road, and If the M cost exceeds the estimates I will take some more M of their money and finish it, or if I run short I M will borrow the money. I can get it at 4 per jfl cent, and the people don't mind that, and then I M will lease the road to some friends of the admin- M istratlon and show not only tho people of Alaska M how much I love them, but show tho greedy mon- M opolists who control our big roads a trick or M two in cheap management." M On its face that has a benevolent look, M though it is true that our benevolent Uncle M Samuel already has some fifty milesi of railroad H across the Isthmus of Darlen, and the charges H levied and paid on that road are so excessive M that weie the management of any of our great M roads to copy the schedule of the Panama road H and apply it, they would see their tracks torn B up by an indignant people within a month, uu- M less the interstate commerce commission inter- H posed and changed rates back to the old figures. fl That example down on the Isthmus" does not H havo an encouraging look to tho men of Alaska, H but they doubtless reason that, by that road they M will be able to get coal as cheaply as they have H been getting it from Japan. H But it is another matter that we desire to H have considered. All men of all parties would H like to see Hie United States take ana hold a full H 1 -,-w iiimiii r mm iumjwjj. maw3r-JTWprii, tw t JfBfflM H share of the South American trade. Now there H 1b only one way that can accomplish that pur- H pose. The men of South America talk different H languages from ours. In Brazil it is mostly Por- Hj' tuguese, in the other states Spanish. Then trade Hj i with them Is mostly a large kind of harter. The H goods and "wares from the United States will H. have to be exchanged for such products as we Hr need and South America can supply. H Again, they are all deciples of "Manana," H that is, they are accustomed to long credits. It H will be readily seen that to build up a profitable H' trade must be a work of time, our people must H learn their different languages and their meth- H ods. Hi Another thing must not be forgotten; we H must sell our goods as cheaply as Great Britain I, and Germany do, or wo can get no trade. This H makos it necessary to carry our goods in our own H ships. Great Britain pays her ships subsidies, H Germany pays hers bounties. H Our present administration, which includes the H president and a majority of both houses of con- H gress, feels It a duty to have spasms whenever H either subsidy or bounty is spoken. And there M you are. H But there is a way to make a beginning. It B is just as legitimate for the government to use M the people's money in one 'form of private enteral enter-al prise as another, and the South American enter-H enter-H prise is easy. M About five steamers should be built for trade M on the east coast of that country. They should M be first class and of at least 'four thousand tons H each. Their cost would be a mere bagatelle, say H $5,000,000. Then there should be about five de- M partment stores with a stock of $1,000,000 each. j One at Para or Pernambuco to catch the rubber H trade; one at Bahia for the coffee trade; one at M Rio for general merchandizing; one at Santos for j the sugar trade, and one at Buenos Ayres, for H all kinds of merchandise. m When the keels for the ships are laid a school m should, be opened to teach, some three score dem- H ocratic students Spanish and Portuguese. Some B architects should be sent in advance to have the H stores prepared for the goods, then about $3,- M 000,000 should be set aside to tide over the first M long delays. M Of course -what the steamers might run be- H . hind could be paid out of the treasury and be in- H eluded in the general deficit. H All the above could be covered by about $15,- H 000,000 and what is $15,000,000 to a billion dollar H country? H ' Seriously speaking, that enterprise If inaugu- fl f rated and carried on by alert and able men, H would In ten years give to the United States the H j best trade of all eastern South America. And m I that Is tho only way to secure it either by the H J government or by private individuals aided by H the government. |
