RIVER IMPROVEMENTS. 747 
depends somewhat upon the way in which the appropriations are made by Con- 
gress. Much work has been done on the Missouri which has been found useless 
because the appropriations were so far short of the estimates for the locality to 
which they were applied that the work was insecure and washed away. True econ- 
omy in this respect demands adequate appropriations, so that the work done 
may be completed and well secured between floods. It depends also somewhat 
upon the skill of engineers in estimating the strength and character of the works 
required to resist the powers of the river. The methods are to some extent ex- 
perimental, and in some instances mistakes have been made, resulting in the loss 
of the works. Mistakes of this kind, in working upon a stream so little under- 
stood as this river, are inevitable but the experience so far had is a guide, and a 
guard for the future. These sums seem enormous, and the possibility that they 
may not prove inadequate makes people and Congressmen timid about entering 
upon a work involving such outlays. However, for a people who have given 
nearly two hundred million acres of land worth not less than twice these figures 
in money, and who have guaranteed bonds to the extent of over $100,000,000 
more for Railroads such expenditures should not be alarming. It must be re- 
membered that the object in the one case is the same as in the other— to provide 
transportation facilities for the people, as a means of increasing the prosperity of 
their industry. The Government having adopted the policy of making such im- 
provements, and the results so far having fully warranted it, there should be no 
hesitation on account of the sums now required, provided it can be made clear 
that the results will justify the expenditure in this particular case. 
The railroad system of the United States, constructed by private capital, is 
now very extensive, and is adequate to handle the products of the people. Why 
then spend so much public money to make this river improvement? Because 
it provides cheaper transportation for cheap, bulky products than the railroads 
now or ever can provide. This fact may be illustrated by a quotation of esti- 
mates contained in a memorial to Congress presented in 1882, by representatives 
of the Missouri River Improvement Association. These estimates took Kansas 
City as their initial point and the grain of the Missouri Valley alone as their base, 
and finding that the rail rate east of the seaboard was thirty-three cents per 
bushel on wheat and twenty-eight cents per bushel on corn, while the barge-rates 
to New Orleans, and additional ocean-carriage from New Orleans to Europe 
was fifteen cents per bushel, it was found that the water carriage offered a saving 
of eighteen cents per bushel on wheat and thirteen cents per bushel on corn. 
Finding then that the Missouri Valley country produced in 1879 — the census 
year crop — 61,117,379 bushels of wheat, and 414,379,526 bushels of corn it was 
found that the saving by the employment of water transportation would have 
been $64,865,229 for that one year alone. True, all the products of the valley 
would not have been thus moved, but since the price of grain in the Missouri 
Valley is the European price, less carriage and cost of handling, this sum would 
have been the value added to the products of our grains by the employment of 
water transportation. If we consider the extent of agricultural product in the 
