The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-05

NtalNeSlull
More.
In the report Of the Jsthmian Canal
Commission 1t was shown that all the
United States. south and west of Lake
Superior, north Of Michigan. Lake Nichi-
Ean and a line drawn from Chicago
through Indianapolis, Frankfort and
Charleston is nearer to New Orleans and
several other gulf ports than to New
York. The opportunities thus awaiting
Tie Industrial communities Of the Mis-
sissppI Valley and the railroads leading
10 Pensacola, Mobile. New Orleans and
galveston were fully described IN the
report of8the commission. The first adj
vantage is that of distance. The South
crn ports will be able to bring railway
cars and steamers aide by side at
capacious terminals. at which freight can
be handled very economically, and this
advantage will assist materially the COM
mercial progress Of Southern cities III
their efforts to command Pacific Ocean
traffic.
Taking up the principal Southern IN
dllstrIcs, one by one, the commission attls-
covered that the exports OF cotton cloth
from the United States to numerous Ia
cific countries, China being the largest
buyer, SO largely BY way of New YORK. orr
and through the suez Canal although q
5part Of the trade Is done by5way of the
atranscontinental railways. Both manu-
tacturers OF cotton in the South and ex-
porters Of the staple believe that the
growth of the business will be limited
only by tho extent oftthe accessible mar.
5kets, and that the proximity tosthe canal
Of the Gulf States and cities, as COM
pared With the north Atlantic coast will
help the South IN developing direct trade
through the canal
Probably four-fiftlls of the iron pro-
duced in the Birmingham district Of Ala
,bama is shipped to other States. Not less
than onc-half OF the entire output IS mar
kcted north Of tho Ohio and Potomac
Rivers Exports to foreign countries may
embrace one-rfth of the product. The
expectation Is that upon the opening OF
the canal. manufacturers OF southern
iron, produced in the South itself, will be
shipped in increasing quantities to the
Tacific coast, Australia and China,
AS to lumber, the commission concluded
that the large and rapidly growing eX--
5portatlon from the Southern States, not
only to Mexico and the West Indies, but
also to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina
indicated that heavy shipments would be
made to the west coast Of So
and Central America II the lsthmus
Canal should be created The regions
named arc Obliged to import large part
OF their lumber, and by way Of the ca
nal they will be materially nearer to the
gulf cities OF the United States than to
other sources OF supply. The possibilities
in this field are particularly attractive to
the saw-mill interests located upon the
Gulf and Ship Island Railway. already
exporting largely from Gulfport III full
cargoes, and to those concentrated at
New Orleans and shipping In parcel lots.
Furthermore, 1t is believed that the
opening OF the canal will affect the fer
tiizer industries of the South In two
Ways; VIZ, first, IN the easier importa-
ton of the raw material into the South
ern states from Chilli than as Mt present
around Cape Horn; and. secondly, In the
development of larger markets for the
manufactured product in California, the
Hawaiian Islands and other Pacific coun-
tries. /lT5
The Chicago Railway Age, In conclud-
ing this article says that the facilities of
the Atlantic Coast Line the Southern
Railway. the seaboard Air Line, the
Louisville and Nashville. the Mobile and
ohio, and the Illinois Central are numer-
Gus and as yet only partly Improved.