Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02

port Its exports and its imports are Dotn
growing. As the terminus of several rail-
way systems. with fine harbor and first
class facilities for handling freight, mer-
rhandise for export, and the products OF
foreign countries are now beginning to find
their way through Mobile. The increase IN
exports last year was 81 .e;i6 II&. There are
now evelen lines of steamers connecting Mo-
bile with European and Spanish-American
ports During the calendar year 512 steam
srs of a total tonnage of 2.2lO tons, and
I9I sailing vessels OF 96,367 tons entered,
which is a large increase over previous
years. The clearings added. both sail and
steam, make a total of 1.449 vessels OF l.
lTT944 tons These included British Aus
TRAN Danish, Dutch. French, German,
Spanish. Russian, Greek, Swedish and Nor
wegian steamers.
There is regular service between Mo-
bile and Bremen with weekly sailings; be-
tween Mobile and New York three times a
month, and with Yucatan and Central
American ports almost daily.
The imports during the calendar year of
1904 were valued at $4,3IS, 767. The largest
item sisal hemp from Iucatan, with
value of $2692.2lO: the second item was
fruit from the republic of Panama and the
five other states of Central America, being
n total of 81 ,J64, 1gJ. The latter was chiefly
bananas and cocOanutS. The rest of the
freight came from the European countries,
Brazil and the West Indies, including $500
worth of whisky from bonnie Scotland.
Even Turkey contributed her share of the
trade
Cuba the Largest Customer.
The exports amounted to Sl6,731, 06I dur
ing the calendar year of 1904. and they were
sent to thirty different countries. Cuba is the
largest customer of Mobile, and bought last
year 1924. 9oT worth of cattle, grain, flour,
,har dria Gh
other merchandise. Germany was the sec
ond buyer and took 81, O62.5G worth of tim
Der. lumber, barrel slaves and cotton; Eng
lang bought $3.Tl34OS of the same commodl-
ties which were also shipped by cargoes to
France, the Netherlands and other Euro
pean countries. Egypt took $I.OOO worth
of Mobile lumber and Switzerland is cred
tied with $50 worth Of rye whisky from
Kentucky.
The entire northwest is interested in Mo
bile commerce. Any one who cares to in
quire into the subject will find long lists
of manufactured merchandise upon the man
ifests of vessels sailing from this port for
foreign countries, and nearly every Item ex-
cept the cotton and timber comes from the
manufacturing towns along the Mississippi
valley. The variety is as great as is fur
nished by the catalogue of a department
store. II includes almost everything you
can think of.
River Navigation of Alabama.
There are 1900 miles of river navigation
back of Mobile, which give nearly all the
counties which are not yet reached by the
railways access to the gulf No state in the
Union has a better system of navigable
rivers than Alabama. They reach one of
the finest cotton-growing regions in the
world; they bisect some of the finest and
most extensive forests. and they almost
reach the largest coal deposits in the United
States. The government of the United
States has spent 100000 to improve these
waterways. but they are very little used
for commerce. The plans upon which the
engineers are now proceeding call for the
expenditure of as much more money. and
it is practicalyw asted. The commerce for an
entire year by boat in Alabama upon this
100000 worth of navigation is not equal
TO a single days traffic upon the railroads
Yet the people claim that this eXpedture
is necessary for the public welfare, to pro-
tect them against the railroads. That can
scarcely be necessary so long as there Is
commission sitting at Montgomery, with au-
thority to increase or decrease railroad rates
at its pleasure. Nobody has ever known
the commission to advance rates. and it is
continually reducing them. The chairman
of the commission which has just gone into
power proclaimed in his inaugural address
the other day an intention to reduce them
still farther; and if that is the disposition
of railway commissions what is the use Of
the government of the United States spend
ing Sl5.OOO.OOO or SlS0O0.OO0 building locks
and dredging channels in rivers upon which
there are no boats.
Canal TO birmingham.
The people of Alabama are now urging
upon Congress an appropriation to con-
tinue the construction of a canal from the
Black Warrior river through fifteen or
twenty miles of cotton fields to the iron
and coal mines around Birmingham which,
II it Is ever built, will give waterway 400
miles long to the gulf, and, IL is said. will
solve the problem of cheap transportation
necessary for the thorough development of
the resources of the state" The cost of
this project is estimated at $5,OO0.00O. of
which about 100000 has already been APP
propriated. AT Tuscaloosa l saw one boat,
not bigger than an ordinary canal boat-a
tiny little stern-wheeler, which now has a
monopoly of transporting coal through a
million dollars worth of locks from the
Black Warrior mines to be used as fuel in
Tuscaloosa. If the coal that is carried
through that channel were sold at cost
price sufficient TO pay legitimate interest
upon the Investment 1t would cost much
as an equal weight OF chocolate creams.
And yet Congress continues to appropriate
the money and the army engineers con-
tinue to eXpend II. When / asked an army
engineer whether the river improvements
in Alabama were not an enormous waste of
public money, he declined to discuss the
subject, on the ground that 1t was his duty
to obey and not to cl'iticise the acts of Con-
gress. But anybody who has ever inquired
into the subject knows how this all hap
pens There are many harbors and several
rivers which require improvements, but it
Is impossible TO obtain appropriations for
them without securing the consent of a
majority of the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives: and very few members of either
body will vote for a river and harbor bill
unless IL contains liberal appropriation for
their districts, regardless of the require
ments of commerce or navigation.
Most Important Articles of Commerce.
The most important articles of commerce
IN Mobile are bananas. pineapples and cocoa
nuts. They are brought from Central
America and the West Indies by the ships
of the United Fruit Company and sent
northward over the Mobile and Ohio, Louis
vile and Nashville, and Southern railways
in special trains TO be distributed among the
cities of the north. The United Fruit Com
pany is better known as the banana trust"
1t has seventy-six steamers of all sizes and
shapes engaged in the trade. Some of them
are fine, new. twin-screw vessels of 5000
tons. with luxurious passenger accommoda-
lions and capable of making eighteen and
twenty knots an hour; while others are
chartered Norwegian tramps, fitted up to
carry bananas.
There is a striking difference in the wages
paid to the American and the Norwegian
ha Frnvf 20