Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-27


duction and distribution. This canal has
been responsible for the marvellous agri-
cultural, commercial, industrial, and min
eral development of the great northwest
through providing cheap water transpor-
tation facilities to the Atlantic and be-
yond. Duluth has been established as a
most important shipping point. Through
wonderful development of iron ores the
canal has been a factor in establishing
the industrial prestige of Pittsburg and
other iron and steel manufacturing GEN.
ters II Is claimed that no similar expen-
diture Of capital by any vast benefits to a
wide area and to so extensive a popula-
ton.
and why may not the inter-oceanic
canal repeat this story on a grander
scale? 1t was claimed by the expounders
that in general such a canal would ben
eft United States commerce in two ways;
1t would increase the radius of profitable
foreign trade, and IL would, by reduced
rates of transportation create new trade
between points already commercially con-
nected. These claims are put by DR.. E. r.
Johnson, a member Of the late canal COM
mission. about as follows:
Il. The canal would give a wider mar
ket to raw materials obtained by agricul
ture. mining, forestry, extractive indus
tries.
''2. American manufactures viii be as
6lSlGu DY CutdpCAlAAlE Expenses u lIdllSpOA-
tation, thus reducing cost of raw mate
rails used and also giving finished goods
a wider range Of markets. American man
ufactures can then compete with the
world.
Now agriculture and manufacture mu-
tually stimulate each other. Agriculture
must furnish much raw material, then as
more and more people engage in manufac-
turing, greater demands are made on ag-
riculture to feed them. Roundly put, then,
stimulation in production OF raw materials
and increase in manufacturing both must
inevitably follow lessening cost of trans
portation and extending the limits of the
markets.
Let us note probable effects on different
sections
New England and middle Atlantic
states. which constitute the most impor-
tant manufacturing section of the country,
have to. ship to Europe to contest the
home markets of the cid world, or to ship
long distance TO the Orient or to our Pa
cihc regions by way of Cape Horn, Cape
of Good Hope or Isthmus of Suez. These
manufacturing regions must get some of
their food supplies and raw materials from
the states on the Pacific ocean, and in
turn these Pacific people desire the man
ufactured articles of New England. The
water distance from New York to San
Francisco is 5000 miles, by an isthmian
canal IL would be 5000, saving of 10000
miles And distance is time and money
The historic voyage Of the Oregon, as it
is stated by the navy department, took 6S
days from San Francisco to Key West
and the total cost was 1900 Instead of
6S days, the voyage by the canal would be
seventeen or nineteen. Owing to our great
distances, the commerce Of the Pacific re-
gions is almost wholly>in the hands of
England and Germany. The canal would
1z,-fv. kTReaT zf
the South Atlantic coast nearer the east,
but New York and Boston would be near
er Yokohama, Hong Kong and even Mel
bourne than Liverpool now is via Suez.
Thus the benefits of the rapidly develop
ing trade Of the Orient would accrue to
our eastern manufacturers, and also trade
between the east and the states west of
the Rockies would be greatly increased.
THE Pacific states are clamorous for
the canal BY II these states would OBJ
tain at our eastern ports and ports of
Europe a market for their immense min
eral and forest Resources and their large
amount of fruit and cereal produce. They
export mostly raw materials much of
which will not bear long carriage. The
best markets for all the west coast pro-
ducts are in Europe and the manufacture
ing sections of the eastern half of the
United States. With the exception of the
Rocky maintain section the Pacific coast
region is the most geographically isolated
portion Of the United States and must re-
main so until 1t has secured cheap water
transportation to its natural markets 1t
is estimated by lumbermen that the open
ing of the canal would add 81 to the value
of every thousand feet OF lumber standing
around Puget Sound These forests in
Washington alone contain 175, zoo, 100000 of
feet of uncut yellow and red fir. Thus the
value of the forests of Washington would
be enhanced $3.50, OO0, 900, and more Of the
world benefited by the lumber The sup
ply Of Alaska or Oregon is much greater.
Throughout American history the
southern states have contributed large
part of the tonnage of our foreign com
merce. Cotton, tobacco, lumber naval
stores, coal, iron, steel. and more lately
manufactured articles and fruit seek the
outbound trade, and these are all bulky
articles dependent upon large tonnage for
shipment.
The south now is almost entirely de
pendent upon the markets of Europe. Dis
tance excludes her products from the Pa
ciic, yet these products are desired by all
the countries of the world. Through the
canal the south will be enabled to COM
pete with East India cotton in the Jap
anese market. Our mills can reach to
best advantage western South America.
Asia and Oceanica, where England and
0GNnIdlly INV w AAAAAiGLoS UuSAAGSS. Inc
cloth made in the south is admirably
adapted to the Pacific trade, and a short
err route to the Pacific market will benefit
all cotton interests.
1.-THE iron industries of the south will
send through the canal to Hawaii, Cali
fornia, and trans-Pacifc countries large
quantities of iron pipe, engines mining
and agricultural machinery steel wire
and other implements. We can all read
| lily see that the opening of the undevel-
oped Pacific countries will require vast
amounts of just such material. Then, too,
the canal will open up vast market for
coal, lumber and phosphate rock. The
Oregon, just before departure on her IA
| nous journey, took coal at San Francisco
bile at $1.25 a ton. Then the great Mis-
sissippi would empty coal from Pennsyl-
vania and West Virginia, wheat from the
northwest, railroad material, agricultural
and mining machinery from Chicago and
the middle west. The agricultural machin-
cry made in and about Chicago is even
now being shipped to the west coast of
South America to eastern Siberia and the
Australias, thought it must go mostly via
New York under all sorts of disadvan-
tages. The Australasian trade of one Chi
cago firm in 1900 was II, 900 tons. No part
Of this country would receive greater ben
eft than would the middle west, the great
Mississippi valley.
This valley, with an area of 1250, 600
square miles is larger than all Of Central