The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-15

development of one of her natural highways TOT traffic; the Alabama hlv. CT? 1t traverses one of the rfchest agricultural sections of the South. and it's tributaries penetrate one of the richest mineral sections of the world.
 To thoroughly demonstrate the neces- sity for improvement, We must show the economy which will result
 Let us look for e moment at the con dltions as they now exist along che Alabama River and contiguous terft- tory. A great portion of the vast ter Ttory mosf entirely deDsndent upon riSer transportation facilities for the market ing Of It's products. At certain seasons of the year, with the river In it's pres ent condition. these people are entirely as transportation is concerned. The railroads are making wonderful strides in opening up new territory all the while. but there are many places which take advantage of this method of transportation, and, as stated, these people have to haul their products many miles to a railroad. This neces- for every item of expense, from the time of planting, to the marketing of a crop, is necessarily included In the cost of production We have had many In season. where parties along. the Ala bama River, dependent upon 1t for transportation, have been compelled to hold their products for weeks and by boat. and. being disappointed, have been forced to haul their products, at a very great expense, to the nearest railroad station. in some instances twenty-five miles distant. and on ac- count. or by virtue of the delay. have been forced to accept very much less for their products than they would have received had they been able to market same promptly.
 Economy to State.
 Tn endeavoring to show the economy to the State, we will. of necessity, have to deal with the subject in a very gem eral way.
 agricultural product, cotton. The State of Alabama produced last year some- thing over one million bales of cotton. Of this amount there were received:
 Bales.
 At Mobile, Ala. ........... .16s,S77
 At Montgomery, Ala. ..... .1e9.024
 At Selma. Ala. ..........., S7,420 At Wetumpka. Ala. ......oslo,00o
 sEstimated.
 making total of l35,321 bales receiv- ed at principal points along the Ala bama River. This cotton must, of land mills. and to Gulf and South Allan tic ports for export. although the cotton mill industry in Alabama. and through, out the South Is very rapidly develop in, only small prcentage of our pro- duct is consumed by these mills. This cotton thu, is subjct to such rates of freight as the railroad lines see 1t to make, commensurate with the condi- tions prevailing. It ig foregone con- clusion that water transportation can be conducted with less expense than rail transportation. and is. therefore, cheaper. The Alabama river, even in it's present inadequate condi- tion. is a great factor in the making of rates, while 1t Is not really a potent factor In tn actual handling of cotton because of the fact that usually, dur ing the early fall and winter months, the water Is very low, and 1t Is impos. sible for boats to make regular trips. We will say that the cotton receipts at Selma. Montgomery and Wetumpka are effected by the Alabama river. and a large per centage of the receipts at Mobile The difference in the rates of freight, as they are now promulgated from the points named. to Mobile. Ala, Is about 50 cents per bale. Understand