The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-24
BURTON TALKS ON TRADE
ADVANCES OF THE SOUTH

Accompanied by four members of
the Alabama delegation in Congress,
and By committees of prominent Ala
bamians. Chairman Burton leaves
Montgomery this morning on the gov
eminent boat William J. Twining for
trip of inspection of the Alabama
river to Selma
Mr.. Burton has several times visited
the South, although this 10 the first
time he has ever made a stop in
Montgomery. But in the discharge of
his responsible duties as Chairman OF
one of the most prominent committees
of Congress, he has made trips of per-
sonal inspection to harbors and rivers
of the South which were petitioning
Congress for appropriations He was.
therefore, in a position to know, to
compare conditions and to give an
opinion when he was questined by the
interviewer at the Exchange Hotel
last night.
rs the South making great indus
trial and commercial progress or does
it only seem so to US, who live here7
The South Is undoubtedly making
remarkable advance, commercially
| and industrially." said Judge Burton.
| slowly. "Of course prosperity is at
this time general throughout our
country. No part or section Is lack
ing In it. No part or section has a
| monopoly of 1t. I would hardly be
| justified in saying that the South Is
advancing and growing more rapidly
than any other section. But / can say
from my observation that ne section
is showing a greater progress. and.no
section has more solid advantages and
claims behind its development than
the South %
| Praises Pensacola IIarbor.
4 In discussing his extended tour of
inspection, 1t was plain to see that
/ Judge Burton had been deeply inn
pressed by the splendid natural harbor
of Pensacola That great stretch of
( water between the Pensacola wharf
and Santa Rosa Island, he called the
greatest anchorage grounds In the
world"
"of the Pensacola harbor," he said.
'It is easily the finest harbor on the
/ Gulf. There are few anywhere that
equal or surpass 1t. and for an anchor
age, ground. none can compare with
Judge Burton does not think that
money should be spent in the i'm
provements of waterways for the sole
purpose of making the railroads re-
duce rates to compete with the water
| rates. Such a policy he holds is un-
wise and illogical He pointed out,
however. because of existing condi-
lions, taken as they are found, this
policy had undoubtedly resulted In i'm
lprovements of vast benefit TO the wa
terways.
Your own city of Montgomery fur
nishes an instance of this" said Judge
Burton. The expenditure of $1,000
900 by the government in the i'm
provement of the Alabama. has as one
direct result the reduction of the rate
from New York to Montgomery OF
eight cents a hundred. STILL, the
proposition that railroad will only
reduce its rate because 1t Is brought
into competition with a waterway II
illogical, to say the least. II the rail
road can afford to haul freight at the
rate of the waterway, 1t can certainly
haul freight at the same rate wher
there Is no water competition"
water hate Regulation.
There should be some regulating au-
thority, in such condition to force
the railroads to reduce their rate tc
the water rate. If the railroads are
able to haul freight and make money
to meet the competition of water rates
some regulating authority should com
pei them to make such rates whether
there were or were not any competi
tion of water rates On the othel
hand, the waterways should be i'm
proved so that freight can be handled
= to the best advantage and so that pro
{ ducts can be transported with cas-
I and despatch. Where good results ar
! to follow from these improvements
they should be made without regar'
to their effect upon railroad rates.
TT came to my knowledge while
was on a tour of Russia, in my worl
/, as Chairman of the Rivers and Har
bors Committee, that the same sort o
policy obtained In that country wher
the railroads are owned by the Gov
eminent. AS you doubtless know
every railroad in Russia with the ex
ception of one, is owned and controll
ed by the Government The Assistan
Minister of Ways and Transportatio
Z of Russia complained bitterly of tn
o policy of Count Wftte who was at tina
= time at the head of the railroad sys
TEN of the Russian government. H
complained that in winter, while tn
. rivers of Russia were frozen and n
3 boats were run, that Count Witte /
= the absence of competition, raised hi
. rates to a high figure, but that a
n soon as the rivers had thawed out /
: the spring and boats were running
: Count Witte reduced his rates so tina
j they should be equal to the rates o
n the river.
:, Count Whites defense was that
= was absolutely necessary that tn
a Government should have a return up
d on the money invested in its railroad
and that it was his purpose to us
: every means towards the payment
= | that return. proper reBuldtioh
o the railroads by a regulating authorit
: would, in the United States, eliminat
3 the policy of the Government spendip
= money on water ways to force the rall
j roads to reduce their rates"
4; Canal An Impetus.
Have recent developments in tn
!, expansion of the United States, tn
!. building of the Panama Canal for in
: stance, and the country's peculiar in
terest in the Island OF Cuba, increase
u u the Importance of Southern ports
/. Judge Burton was asked.
g The Inauguration of the work o
r the Panama Canal has already give
a great impetus to the business of a
i Gulf ports" he replied TT will un
II doubtedly increase the business G
i these ports in the future. Already tn
= business done between the tropics
i, countries and the United States ha
"a shown a wonderful development. TIL
N imports from the tropical countries
70 the United States have largely increas
IL ed The increase in the use of tn
products OF the tropics has already al
tracted the attention of thoughtfl
G. | ~ conditions 4 mos