The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-03


 %%%~%%%%~ Every forward move on Congress must be intelligently and enthusiastically sus- . tained by genuine public opinion: there fore, this article first addresses itself to the thousands who cannot go to conven- tions or visit Washington. Their spokes- men must know that the voice of this re- zion is united and determined, or tie spokesmen themselves will lack the as surance that will win the recognition be- longing to this marvellous territory. Get out the atlas and with the house. ! hold gathered around to a lesson in state pride and state determination impress these great facts
 This great state is larger by far than i all of England-2OOO square miles larger yet it's population is less than one-tif- teenth that of England. Those two facts stated together mean that Alabama has not yet fairly started toward it's full de- veopment; they mean that there is future for Alabama measured only by the ! intelligence and energy of it's people. This great state is filled with crude products of the mine and of the forest tens of billions of tons waiting to be moved and to be utilized in commerce, Tn agriculture, and in construction. This great state is traversed and pene- trated by q pervasive river system as ramifed and as complete as the veins of the body, gathering the waters of an ern- pire to enter the heart of the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile.
 This great state, lying almost as it came from the creative power of nature-only scratched here and there-is not contrib uting one ten-thoussndth part of its pos i abilities to the rest of the world, The problem Is to find ways and means of moving the gifts of nature to where the rest of the world may reach and util-
 ze them.
 The answer to the problem is. Water. The railroads cannot do the moving of our crude wealth; they are already over loaded moving finished products or per ishable growths. They are doing their share in the development of Alabama, and doing we'll as possible under the strain of excess tonnage and short equip ment. They cannot and do not solve the problem of a nearly costless movement of coal, iron ore, building stone, logs, ce ment materials, etc. Unless some way other than that of expensive rallroading be found. Alabama will long remain short of it's full stature~as a mighty producing part of this mighty, productive nation
 Nothing can compare with water in the never failing and ever repeating service 1t will render under control. Sustained by the buoyant bosom of a stream, the same horsepower required to move one train load of merchandise on land can move twenty train loads on water An engine that can pull 300 tons on land could move 5000 tons on water A ton of ore is hauled 1000 miles on the Lakes for 35c, and less than 200 miles for 90c by rail.
 The fathers. of this state long ago saw this water opportunity. and they used the streams of the state during the time of considerable flow, but not at other times. Before railroads they floated their proc ucts to Mobile irregularly and uncer- tainly. Then came a period when rail- roads seemed to meet the greater part of the needs of the state; when the state slumbered on its heritage and the river traffic bcame a mere incident. It was the day when the things that grew were re- garded as the sole important products of the state; then came the increasing i'm portance of our inorganic wealth around Birmingham and elsewhere, and then at last full-throated demand for power through the Federal government to chain and control our waterways for the deve- opment of an illimitable wealth.
 But this demand insstent and persistent and specious as it was, in many cases never measured up to the full require ments of the situation, and the reason is found in inborn selfishness and short sightedness and narrow interpretation of political duties. The development of the waterways became a matter of rivalry not rivalry in increasing tonnage, but riv- airy in spending appropriations within given districts, separate and distinct from a statesmanlike view of the whole state and its needs. That day is passing; per haps has passed, and we approach a time of constructive statesmanship when the greatest good to the greatest number in the quickest possible time shall sway our decisions and demands.
 I need not apologize for such lengthy introduction to an important subject. A clear understanding of the broad details of the states heritage will make specific portions of the problem more easily understood.
 Few Closing Words. A few closing words in dealing with the situation. Before even the United States had existence there were 663 miles of ce nals in France; and by the time of the Franco Herman war, in 1870. the increase had become so great that there were 2954 miles of canals, 2065 miles of canalzed rivers, and 1871 miles uncanalized rivers, making total of 6S90 miles of inland nav ! igable water communication in France country not four times the size fo Ala bama. In the year of our Lord 1907. there | is not in Alabama one mile of canal. less | than POO miles of canalized river, plus the l marine canal of Mobile bay and harbor. 94 miles long. In other words. Alabama is just beginning to develop; the purpose should be to begin right and stay right To that end thoughtful people look for ward to the coming convention at Bir- mingham. to arouse state sentiment and unanimity that shall give new character and dignity to the state.