The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-21

waterways does materially reduce transportation rates not only on the water but on rail was proven by sta tistics which Mir. Fox had at his fin- gers ends last evening. He cited fig- ures to demonstrate that even $ss.500.- 900 spent judiciously on the Great Lakes had resulted in giving the ship pers of freights on those waters a rate which Is only one-ninth of the railroad rates applyins on lines which parallel the water routes.
 While the water rates of the lakes have been reduced in this proportion, the Improvements of the lakes has also brought down the railroad rates of parallel or competing lines by two mills Thus every year millions are saved the shippers of comeree in those 900.
 MT. Fox also referred to the perma- nent improvements, that have been made on the Monongahela River. There the water rates have been reduced to such an extent that the average ton of freight now is hauled on that water at
 cents whereas before the improve ments the average cost was 4s cents. The Case of Montgomery. Coming on down to the case of the city of Montgomery. Mir. Fox pro-
 
 his hearers that the improvements of the Alabama River and other streams of the State would be most enviable factor in the development of the trade through this as a distributing center, and in the annual saving in freights.
 He told Of how Montgomery receives
 shipments annually amounting to 1sa,-
 900 tons of food products alone. If the city had the benefits of clean, a xyin nnh lA af m n ha afl Af
 freight from such centers as Louisville. Evansville, St. Louis, Memphis and other great centers of the West and Northwest, 1t was shown that 1t is pos-
 sible that what now costs 72.8 cents per 100 pounds to haul would cost no
 more than 54.5 cents per 100 pounds. The illustration of lower rates than was called to the attention of the audience by MT. Fox. From Memphis
 to Mobile 1t costs seventy-five cents bale of cotton for transportation.
 whereas. from Montgomery to Mobile the cost is si.25 per bale. Here 1t
 was shown that s1s0.ooo alone could
 be saved annually on the cotton that
 should be assembled at this point. This. because the lower rates to Mobile from other points than Mont gomery are due to water competition with the railroads.
 The speaker closed with an appeal to the city to erect more modern and | there would be not much recognition | of seriousness on the part of her citi-
 sens by Congress unless such Interest | was shown locally. At the conclusion
 Mir. Fox was given an ovation. New Wharf to be Built. Mir. Moritz. when called upon by | President A. C. Forbes, who presided
 over the meeting. declared that plans have already been drawn for the con 1 struction of 8 warehouse and wharf at the end of Commerce Street He
 as the Council is reelected and re-
 organized an ordinance will be passed authorizing the Improvements. Captain Ferguson, of the United | States Engineering Corps. gave it as his belief that with anything ike I normal conditions. Montgomery has seen her last low water on the Alabama | river. He believed that the prospect of a four-foot channel might be looked | upon now as certainty. with the ex- | penditure of the $300,oe0 which have l been appropriated for the purpose. | The contrs cts have been let, he said. | and the work should go on uninter-
 ruptedly unless something unforeseen | happens
 A very interesting talk was made | hv Secretary Dave. of the Club, on the topic of general traffic movements | along the north and south line of the | continent following the line of least i resistance between the Appalachians
 and the Rockies. This, he firmly be-
 lieved would make the Gulf coast and
 Alabama in particular the most strategic area from an exporting
 standpoint in the whole country. An interesting discussion of inland
 waterways followed by John L. Mat | thews, magazine and newspaper
 writer on the subject of waterways
 The evening closed at II o'clock with l the enjoyment. of refreshments. ..