The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-07-06
WHEN LABOR IMPROVES.
From the st. Louis Republic. !

From the ST. Louis Republic
The State of Louisiana covers $4,000, 900 acres,
and of this about 600 600 acres are virtually
vacant. Yet the portion of the Commonwealth
which is in cultivation holds the record in the United
States for abundancy of production per acre. The
States population is at the low figure OF thirty
inhabitants to the square mile. This simple state
ment without establishment, would sufficice to-
indicate Louisiana's prospects under the present
impetus of foreign and American immigration.
Louisiana has railroad in nearly every parish,
and transportation by water in every parish except
four The Mississippi River forms thee eastern State
boundary as far south as Angola, and thence it
courses through the State to the extreme southern
limits at the Gulf of Mexico. Besides affording all
the facilities of water traffic, the river furnishes
conveniences for irrigation in growing rice. The
southern part of the State faces the Gulf Louisiana
has 1880 miles of coast line.
Satisfactory labor is hard to obtain, and negro
labor creates innumerable embarrassment, but the
annual production of cotton exceeds 800 600 bales,
and there are some ten cotton mills and some fifty
five cottonseed oil mills. Were labor conditions
favorable it is estimated that the cotton trade would
be at least twice as great. Cotton is grown extern
svely in practically all sections except the south
ern.
Sugar cane is raised in the central-southern and
southeastern parts of the State The sugar houses,
about $50, consume about 1000 tons of daily.
More than fifty mills the whole rice yield. Rice
production could be doubled with little effort. The
capacity in this direction exceeds /, 500, 900.
The lumber business of Louisiana has but just
begun to develop. The forest area comprises about
900 900 acres. Pines predominant, but there are
oaks, hickores, ash, beech, magnolia, poplar,
cypress, willow, gums and other woods. The OPP
portunities for utilizing the forest resources are
such as to admit of the establishment of various
woodworking industries in the tree regions.
Louisiana oranges strawberries, figs, plums
pears and fruits of all kinds are celebrated The
growing of oranges and Strawberries is steadily
increasing the revenues of the State. Tobacco il
grown in the northwestern section Truck gardening
is augmenting marvelously in the central eastern
and central-western sections, and cattle raising
keeps proportionate pace with agricultural nteres
and effort
i The largest sulphur mine and the largest sal
deposits in the United States are in Louisiana. Oh
wells exist in the extreme southwestern corner nea
the Texas boundary. Marble beds, Ignite Goa
veins and iron constitute other special resources
The chances for oyster growing are illustrated b,
the fact that there above 1000 square miles
oyster grounds capable of service.
, The prosperity, development and prospects o
, Louisiana are well conveyed by the Importance Q
it's metropolis, New Orleans. Additional stempshi
lines to European ports, especially in the Souther
f countries, tend to show that New Orleans has a
t exceptionally bright future. New Orleans alread
ranks next to New York as export city. Wit
the new steamship lines and with the opening G
1 the Panama Canal it is sure to become aggressiv
for the first honor New Orleans is now the larges
Q grain, the largest cotton the largest sugar, tn
largest rice and the largest lumber port of the Unite
States, as we'll the largest foreign fruit market
n Bearing in mind that Louisiana is only about one
: third developed, and that even against oppressv
restraints its prosperity is remarkable, there is
basis for estimating, although incompletely, tn
opportunities which offering and will be ofere
through long desired facilities. The States com
}, mercial prospects are mitable. Louisiana is on
n of the Southern States whose advancement to
9 high position among the worlds trade centers
n inevitable. 1t has the resources and the brain
!, and it requires only more and better labor.