The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-26
IgeES GOVERNMENT CONTROL
az BOARD OF TRADE INDORsEs
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

treasury, New POstOfIice and Rail-
road situation Discussed.
The board of trade completed its thir-
NH wear yesterday. The annual meet
= convened at Il O'Clock with President
49, in the chair. The various commit
= submitted their reports after which
resident Purse read his annual re-
~ dealing with the operations of the
srd during the past year. and giving a
LEV of the commercial history OF the
,ar. and its present conditions.
,frer the reports had been read, the
-srbers Of the board and their friends
r.-aneI to an interesting discussion of
~ Nicaragua canal by Rear Admiral
! ,mmen of the United States navy and
al W. W. Gordon. Admiral Ammen has
,.ken a deep interest in the building of
,sa Nicaragua canal, and has advocated
Il fin newspaper and magazine articles and
Il pubIic addresses during the last sew
sral years. He believes for many reasons,
. hat the United States government should
axe charge of the work and construct the
d ,snal. AS the nation most interested in it
would then have entire control for both
military and commercial purposes of what
vii probably prove TO be the most impor-
. ,ant water route of the world and there
would be no complication on account of
tho claims of other nations as would be
4 the case il the canal was built by private
Tine immense advantage which the ca
nal would prove to the commerce of the
4 world and especially that OF the United
4 States were dWelt upon by Admiral Am
men He gave figures, showing how much
4 shorter the route via the canal would be
letween the principal commercial cen
ters of the eastern and western hemis-
rhares than by the present trade routes,
4 ibp distances saved in some instances
4 Vmounting to several thousand miles. lie
esserted that the canal would prove OF
immense benefit 10 the cotton growing
states and the South Atlantic and gulf
ports as II would result IN an immense
/ commerce between these ports and the
ports of China, Japan ana other Aslatlc
countries. The consumption or cotton,
cotton manufactures and the products OF
civilized countries generally is increasing
every year in these countries. Cotton IS
now Skinned to China via Liverpool With
the Nicaragua canal open, cotton would
he shipped TO those countries direct from
the southern ports, and the consumption
Immensely Increased, while the profits for
handling the cotton, which now so TO the
liverpool middemen would be left in this
Admiral Ammen criticised an article by
Joseph Nimmo, the we'll known statisu-
clan in the February issue OF the Forum,
IN which the latter made an elaborate ar
Eumcut TO snow tndl the tdildl coulu NOT
be a financial success, and that its value
10 the commerce of the world had been
greatly exaggerated. Mr.. Nimmo asserted
that the canal would not shorten the prln-
cipal trading routes to such an extent
as TO attract any large amount OF tratic
and that it would be available only TO
steam vessels, on account or the pro
longed Gains which prevail in b0th oceans
in that latitude during several months of
the year. Admiral Ammen attacked Mr..
Nimmo's article sharply, and minated
Huntingdon and the Pacific railroads,
which fear that the canal would divert
overland traffic from their lines.
Col. Gordon followed Admiral Ammep
in short address and spoke of the ads
vantage which the canal would prove TO
Savannah and the other South Atlantic
and gulf ports by the development Of trade
WIN the racine coast, Australia, South
Africa and the Asiatic countries. Col.
Gordon offered the following set of reso-
lutiQns, which were adopted:
w nercaS, The commerce of the world,
ana especially of the United States, re-
CURES the construction of a canal to con-
meet the waters of the Pacific Ocean with
those of the caribbean Sea and the Allan
lie ocean; and
Whereas, The Nicaraguan canal ap-
pears to be the most practicable, If not
the only practicable, connection that can
be made; and
Whereas The distance between the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United
States saved by such a canal and the oc-
cupation of Lake Nicaragua by the
United States government would be of in
ealculable advantage to the United States
in case of war between the United States
and any other naval power; therefore,
Resolved, That we request Senators
Gordon and Bacon and our representative,
me Hon. r. e. Lester, to favor legislation
II congress giving countenance and finan-
cal aid toward the construction of said
canal on such terms as Will give the
United States government the controlling
- resolved further, That the thanks of
ms board of trade be given to Admiral
Alnmen Tor his interesting and instructive
information concerning the proposed Nj
caraguan canal"
In opening his report President Purse
devoted considerable time to discussing
lhe small membership of the board and the
necessity for increasing it if the efforts of
lHe board in behalf of Savannahs COM
merclal interests is to be continued and
gpheld. On account of the small men,
Dership it has been found necessary to
retain the annual dues at $40, whereas,
win a larger membership the dues could
ne made JADE $25. The present membership of
ne board is only ninety-three, a falling
on or five since the last year. Eight
members We're admitted during the year,
sut seven withdrew, three were dropped
died
Savannah is without chamber of
Cummerce, said Capt. Purse. The cotton
t&change represents but a single interest
though with eminent ability and accepta-
tmeness. Upon the board of trade falls
.ne responsibility of conserving the gen.
etai commercial and industrial interests
" me community. Less than 100 do bat
.,e Tor $1,000 upon the most vital lines of
.,nelr commercial supremacy. What has
,GetI accomplished, he said, signifies moth
ing IN comparison with what could be ex-
peIted II its capacity for usefulness was
hhiiaarged by an increase of its member
sItlp from ninety-three to $50, and it
~ ofo Sl not be less in a city of the size
VI savannah.
capt Purse dwelt at some length
M Nh the conditions and inn
Portance of the board of trade as an
Ulsdhlzation to the city and its develop
iineul He then took up the various
ttLL.efests it represents. Concerning
@@ie naval stores trade, he said
my apprehension that has ever
Puzzled the public mind that Savannah's
bba5dl stores trade was in its decadence
a 1au as well be dismissed with an in
UeaSe of IL per cent. in receipts over 1895
a. Sliq a possibility of still greater increase
80 e. io9o II certain severe Determinations in
eleIsnt over quite a large area in South
~ ~ Alabama and Middle Florida can be
ssthOVed, to which end vigorous remon-
'Ga9nce is now being filed.
vOVer the whole belt OF country south
go OF her capable of producing naval
lures, Savannah is preferred to all com
Ing markets, and the increase of her
;TTSSepts does not, therefore, necessarily
-t-lIcdte inprpa n rarndnpffnn