The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-26
NORTH CAROLINA AT ST. LOUIS
Governor Aycocks Letter Calling for Contributions to
Duplicate the Appropriation, Condi-
toned in the Act

accrue lnereTOm, NllDln u tWelFe InOnlH
will be great.
Further, the Governor says, "and near
ly every foreign country" will be there;
they will be there, not only with their
exhibits. but the Exposition will TEEN
with visitors from every foreign nation
He also says North Carolina must join
her sister States there; her past expe-
rlence shows that such advertisement of
her resources pays and is good in
vestment" If it has been good invest
ment in the past, is there any reason
why, in this age of progress and pros
perity, it should not be an even better
investment in this case, and why great
effort should not be made to have the
exhibit exceed anything of the kind here
tofore undertaken. We have said that
the States of this nation will all be rep
resented, and foreign countries Will BE-
there. while millions of visitors WILL
during the period of the Exposition, in
spect the industries and resources of this
country thousands of them doing so not
from idle curiosity. but with the purpose
of either learning where the best OPP
portunities are for the investment Of
capital or where they can find homes best
suited to their views. There Will be an,
other class of visitors, looking to an ir
terchange OF commerce between the
South Atlantic and Gulf States and the
Latin American merchants will buy, and
some of the products of those countries
can find markets within the borders of
the State North Carolina has deep water
ways through which this trade could be
developed, and this opportunity should
not be lost sight of.
las a matter of State and National
pride she must keep her position among
the progressive States There will be
many readers who will say that the State
is progressing well enough, and is able, as
it were, to paddle its own canoe; and
these will discourage the views express
ed by the Governor. Should they sue
coed. through these means, in preventing
the State from occupying its proper posi-
ton at st. Louis, it will be a step in re-
PROGRESSION that will take years to over
come. Take into consideration the one
fact that she sis asking the aid of the
people of the United States in large pub
lie appropriations for improvements,
which include the great Inland water
way of the East and the Appalachian For
est Reserve in her mountain region.
North Carolina can not afford to neglect
this invitation of the Federal Govern
ment that she participate with other
states in this great National and In
ternational undertaking for which Con-
gress has provided with such marked lib
erality" The General Government has
done much to aid the development in
North Carolina through the deepening of
her harbors and rivers, and now we are
seeking much larger appropriation to
give us the great Inland Waterway from
Norfolk to Beaufort, a project, which, if
it can be carried through, will be of in
calculable value to every city, town and
property owner within a hundred miles of
the coast; and the Appalachian Forest
Reserve in the mountain region means
equally as much to that section of the
State We should therefore, go to st.
Louis not only with an exhibit of our in
dustries and resources, but we should
show up in miniature, as can be done,
the coast line and country tributary
thereto the western section of the Stale
with the proposed Reserve well indi-
caed. with comprehensive statement of
the undeveloped resources and poSsibiil
ties of both sections. A showing of this
description will attract capital, investors
and settlers and will be found to be OF
great advantage to the representatives
in Congress in pressing for the appro-
priation
The Governor next calls attention to
the fact that other States are raising by
private subscription the funds necessary
to cover the expenses of their exhibit,
consequently North Carolina is not alone
in this line, and having the Museum at
Raleigh to draw from for exhibits 1t will
not be necessary to try to raise anything
like the sum that Texas, Kentucky and
other States are doing.
JOHN H. AVERILL