The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-08

to new routes than in bringing about trade not now in existence.
 Cotton tn the soufh.
 But not only as a gateway for other sections but in the development of a direct trade for its own pro- ducts will the South profit through the canal. The raising of cotton has been the dominant industry of the South for nearly a hundred years, and notwithstanding the importance which the development of other resources in reaching. 1t win probably retain its place. The multiplication of cotton mills and the manufacture of cotton seed products will help in strength ening the industrial position of this crop in the South.
 The South has an important mar ket for raw cotton in the Far East. From 1895 to 1898 Japan's tmports of cotton from the United States increas- ed from less than nine per cent to over forty. Among the manufactured products from this raw material, cot ton cloth shipped from the United States finds it's way to many Pacific countries. but mainly to China, Aus tralfa and the British East Indies. This Is a demand that is increasing g even under the present adverse com 4fttOH1. AHuSe tAG C0ttOu EndHuL6CluT~ CTS of the south as well as the pro- ducers of raw cotton will De served by the canal With over 5000, 900 spindles in operation and new mills In process of erection, the growth Of the cotton manufacturing business in the South is limited only by the ex tent of the market that can profftably be reached; while the extent of inc market that will be thrown open with the completion of the canal cannot be well defined.
 fsrewth of fron Industry.
 A notable phase of the recent iu- dustrial progress of the South has been the growth of the iron industry, close ly associated with It's production of coal. The first coal mine in Alabama was op- ened thirty years ago. Now this dis trict has an output of 20,Ob0 tons per day The Southern States are. produc- ing at present nearly one-flfth of all the iron ore mined in the United States and the Alabama and TAnAssszs mines yisld nearly one-seyenth of the total Hesides the raw material of the iron and steel Industries, the Southern States. notably in chattano6ga ana RiFniinGhsfl1s are manufacturff9 ma chinery. engines. inipiements and a wide variety of iron and steel articles both Tor foreign and domestic trade in Chattanooga alone over twenty Arms are already shipping their products tc or beyond the Pacific coast of the Unit. ed States. These are industries be- longing to no section. rney are airaoei national, and more extended considers. tion may properly be left until we at. tempt to sean the country as whola
 Tinher is fmpoxtant.
 "rhe South presents, now. conner. eially, the most important timber dls- triet .of the United States It's stand. ing supply reaches probably thirty psi cent oE the total amount still left withs In the boundaries of the country. Oni exports Of lumber. of which the South ern States furnish more than half, are large and increasing Seven-tenths oi these exports of the South now so Cd Europe.
 But there is large and rapidly growing sxportation, not only to Msxi. co and the West Indies. but to Brazil Uruguay and Argentina. Comparatively little is shipped to the West coast oi South America, yet the countries there are obliged to Import a large part oi their lumber. and the fact that opt product satisnes the needs of theiI neighbors to the east leaves little doubt that with the completion of the canal we shall be able to meet the similar
 
 "Hard woods from the Southern States are now being shipped not only to the Atlantic South American States but to the Pacific coast of the United States.
 Cost of Trnnsp0rtntion.
 The cost of transpoRtation by an all water route from Memphis through the canal to the Pacific markets will be so low as to make the development oi a greater trade still possible. The in. dustrial progress of the west coast ot the three Americas that may be expect ed to follow the completion of the canal will greatly enlarge their demand fot lumber. Thls larger business will be shared both by the regions Of present supply and by new ones at present debarred by their inaccessibility to the markets. The possible limit to our lumber market unfortunately seems fix ed rather by the supply than the de, nand. Unless a wiser policy costrols in the future than has led to the waste in the past it Is probable /that even our vast supply will not long survive the day that opens to 1t these new mark cts"
 Another result of the completion of the canal" said Mir. Wright. Twill be it's influences on the ship building indus tries in which way it will affect almosG every section of the country. A larger coastwise fieet will De required Tor the increased trade and the vessels must be built in American yards"
 He spoke of the influence of the canai