Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-11
Railway Aids Smyrna.

Tor lH0J-tnc 1lrSt llllic Htioc - -
ganizatinn in 1897. that tins rate mas
been possible. The manager reports
| a serious decline in the grain trliilc as
the result of poor harvcStS last aut-
umn. Barley alone showed a shrink
age Of "a per cent. as compared WIFI
figures for 1901. The indications Tor
the harvest Of the present var. now
ever. are most promising. fhrr" mas
been an increase of 20 per cent III the
area of grain SoWingS.
The data on the production OF HSS
are Of more special interest /"
American trade. The most delicious
Of the figs annually imported 70 the
United States come from Smyrna. IN"
quantity Of figs transported Dy Inc
railroad during TIL" autumn OF 1919
was notably in excess of ;hat carried
in any preceding year. Ia numncr of
fig orchards is steadily increasing. and
all prospects point to an enlarged pro-
duction in the immediate future.
on parts Of the line 9t-nound steel
rails are replacing the former 90
pound rails, and $4,000 slccpcrs were
renewed during the year by crcosotcd
fir. Terminal facilities ut Smyrna are
undergoing steady improvement. Spa
cious new warehouses have been con-
Structcd which are admirably adapted
"a their purpose. and the new pier into
he bay has been completed, enabling
the crude products of the interior of
Turkey to be transferred rapidly and
economically directly on board ocean
steamships.
The satisfactory showing of this
Turkish railroad is most instructive
example, says Consul Thorn. 5 II. Nor
ton. of Smyrna. of what can be ac-
r0mpliShCd in the more favored parts
of the Turkish empire by energetic
and well directed management, and is
worthy of careful attention by Amcri-
can capitalists who have shown IN
tcrcSt for the last three TCarS in the
matter of railroad construction in Tur-
key. A decade ago the shares of the
road were quoted at prices less than
| onc-half their par value. Now They
are 10 per cent. above par. The conf
pany is seeking with til" active sup
port Of the British Embassy at Con-
| StantinOplc. to obtain permission from
| the ottoman government to prolon%
| the line from the present terminus at
Dinair. SouthcaStcrly to Sparta and
| into the fertile and productive regions
intervening between the existing
| "Sphcrc Of influence" Of the Adm Rail
way and the territory Immediately
| tributary to the lagdad Railway,
Much opposition TO the project has
been evoked by the interests control
| ling the BaGdad hallway. but.
| it is confidently expected that the i'm
pcrial sanction will soon be given. If
it is it will give an upward tendency to
| the foreign trade of Smyrna which can
| hardly be ovcrcstinatcd.
There is some fear expressed by
| persons intcrmatcly concerned in tn"
| railway affairs of the Turkish Empire
| that the ma jurity of the stock of the
| Aidin Railroad may be obtained by its
| powerful rival, the BaEdad company,
| as was recently the case with the short
| line from Adana to Mcrcina, and that
| its exploitation may be rendered sub
ordinate to the interests Of the Bagdad
road when once 4 completed trans
| continental line is secured. This op-
Grafton would not be one of great diff
Guilty, as the stock is widely scattered
| among small holders, chiefly in Great
| Britain. These. ii is assumed, would
| bC willing to accept liberal offer.
Little Of the stock is held by financial
interests directly concerned in the &C.
| onomic future of the province. Such
an acquisition might, however, hasten
| the day when Smyrna would bcCom"
| the natural outlet for much of the
| traffic of the BaGdad line. as gcngra-
| phcaIly She ought to become as a re
suit of tho railroad situation in Asiatic
Turkey.
| An, t.. hi, l., ny J,. I, tn
| man government to abolish complete
| Iy the sale of lottery tickets within
| the empire. Any receiver, seller,
| buyer or holder, Of foreign lottery
| ticket is now liable to prosecution.
| and the mourning Of a fine of from
$40 to $500 for tn" first offence and
| from SEQ to $44 for the second off
| cncc. Another postal regulation calls
for the destroying or returning of
| flowers. bulbs or entire plants coming
| through the mail from countries where
| phylluXcra is prevalent. AS a matter
of fact, the great majority Of the vine
| yards 0f Turkey are now infested with
| phylloXcra. In the region tributary to
| Smyrna this is almost universally the
case. All over the empire American
vines have been planted. and upon
these are grated the valued native
varieties. 50 long as there is prac
tically no restraint upon the commerce
within the empire in plants, vines and
bulbs, the new regulation is of no real
value in protecting the regions not yet
visited by the phylloXea. Although
American vines Of greater vitality are
being introduced in every part of the
empire. of the only effectual means of
fighting the evil. strict application
of the law excludes their transmission
| through the mails.