The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-04-04
SOUTH'S GROWTH
IS REMARKABLE
ALL THE MORE so BECAUSE
COMPARATIVELY RECENT,
SAYS STRAUSS.
THE POSTAL SUBSIDY
WlWil Insure More Rapid and Profit
able Enlargement of Southern
Commerce--Panama Canal
Valuable Adjunst.

Savannah, Ga, April 3.-Ihe fea
ture of the celebration of the twenty
fifth anniversary or the Savannah
Beard of Trade. which was celebrated
today, was the largely attended ban
ouet tonight, at which Secretary
strauss, of the department OF com
merce and labor was the guest and
speaker
Our Commercial Age" was the
subject of Straus, who said:
The commercial development of the
south, as distinguished from the pro
duction of agricultural staples, is OF
comparatively recent growth, and
for that reason the more remarkable
Let me cite few examples. Since
1870 the railways of the south have
grown from l2,500 to $1,000 miles;
IN other words, they have practically
Guintupled in length, while those oil
the other parts of the United States
have only quadrupled. Take the cot
ton manufacturing industry. In the
same period of time it grew from
1
same period the value Of all manu-
features produced in the south has
grown from 278 millions to l,526 mil
lions nearly double as much in per
centage as the rest of the country
H. the period from 1890 to 1906, the
number of national banks and in
dividual deposits in national banks
have increased more than 100 pei
cent, while the deposits in the bank
ing institutions of the country as Q
whole have increased only so pei
cent. In the state OF Georgia the
growth has been equally gratifying
To take a few examples, the value o
cotton manufacturers from 1870 tc
1905 has grown from ga millions to
B.. millions. and the total value q
manufactures during the same period
has grown from 81 millions to l5l
millions, and the value of exports
RAISING oBt of this port of Savannah
has grown from SO millions in 1S7C
to more than G3 millions in the fisca
year 1907.
to glorify your greatness, but rather
TO direct your attention to future pos
sibilities. Great as this growth has
been, your opportunities for the future
will certainly be largely increased by
the construction and opening of the
Panama canal. The market for cot
tor goods In Latin America amounts
to 100 millions year, and with th'
opening of that canal the entire Paci
fic frontage of Latin America, thu
total imports of which amount t.
more than GOO millions, will afort
attractive markets for you.
Postal Suhsdy-Its Meaning.
There is another important matte
in this connection that is deserving o
your immediate attention.
You may have the products of th'
farm and the facory in abundance
YOU may spend millions upon you
waterways and upon your harbors
and millions again upon what vii
rrove to be the greatest and mos
tarreaching commercial enterpris
tho construction of the Panama cana
the benefits from them. will neve
adequately flow to sou unless yo
control the means Of transportatio
to carry your products and you
nails In your own ships, under you
own flag. by the most direct route t
the markets that you seek to cult
vate.
There is bill now before congress
the purpose of which is to extend thl
.uhyention so as to make it effectiv
il. reaching the markets on this cof
tinent and along the Pacific oceai
namely to give the same postal SUI
Vention that is provided for unde
the law of 1891 and adapt 1t to shil
that ply i'm those waters, or. in othf
words. to give 81 ton per mile to We
sells of the second class on route ~
miles or more in length, outward vo
age. to South America, to the Phlh
pine, to Japan, to China. and 10 Au
tralia. To accomplish this VIII r
guire at the outside no more thar u
H pfpIft Indt tIit EOft - -
making on it's foreign mail contract
In other words, the actual cost
the government last year OF u
ocean mail service to foreign cou
t,ies. other than Canada and MeXic
was in round numbers , million dc
lars. while the proceeds realized
the government from postage betwef
the United States and foreign cou
tries. was little in excess OF
millions. leaving profit to the Unit
States of million dollars per annul
In other words. the commerce
the country yields to the governme
this > million dollars in postage alon
and all that is asked is that this
million dollars be devoted to exten
ing the commerce of the country
American bottoms under the Anne