The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-26
Exports from GuH Ports :.
 Show Increase of 40 Per Cent

In a letter to the Commercial .un of Bay Minette. Secretary c. eros <venor Dave, of the Aiabama Com mercial and Industrial Associauon points out that the export business of the Gulf ports had increased l4u per cent in ten years while the export business of Atlantic ports nao 'h- creased only fifty per cent
 This startling fact was cited by MT. Dave in his letter to the club Tn sup port e. his contention that pusiness was showing southern trend. ans formation of the club. and devotion of the efforts of that and other ciups' in contributina to the general pros perity of the South
 The letter ,liuws
 Secretary Commercial League. Say
 Minette, Ala.
 Dear sir--I desire to acknowledge very tardity your reecnt letter noti- fying me that there had been called into existence at Bay Minstts, busi- ness mems organization, entitled the Cotnmerciaf League" Captain Forbes and I must apologize to you for our slow response but we have both been very greatly presccupied with public gatherings and with plans regarding the annual meeting of the State As sociation at Mobile. to be held May 20th and 2lst.
 What the men of Bay Binette have done should also be done in every town and hamlet of this great state. even if only half a dozen business men could be brought together and they were obliged to meet from house to house. speak thus positively because to those who can read the signs of the times. there is unquestionably tre- mendous possible development of Ala bama moving southward in obedience tr rka nf VI often lose sight through pre-cccupa- ton oi small personal affairs. When statistics show that New England is losing its leadership in spindles and that now more than one-half of all the spindIes in the United states are In the Southern States. while twenty years ago the Southern States held almost a negligible fraction of all the spindles, it Is evident that the grea. laws of economy of motion are at work, bringing the rew material and the manufactured yet nearer together without long intervening nauliag and return. The beginning of the south ward trend Is here, though as yet there Is much to do: for within two weeks. have seen ginghams for sale here that were manufactured in New Hamp- shire out of Southern cotton. when Southern cotton surrenders to South ern people the very last veetige Of profit that Is in 1t. through growth. through hauling. through manufacture. through jcbbIng and through sale. the prosperity of the South will be as- sared and unassaiiabie.
 Again, when we men of Alabama consider this great fact; that in the lsst ten years exports from Atlantic ports have increased fifty per cent. and yet in the same ten years, ex- ports from Gulf ports have increased 140 per cent, we are able to perceive positive evidence of the great north ward drift of exports from all points between the Alleghanies and the Rockies. The time is unquestionably coming when the vast proportion of exports and imports of this great re- zion will flow into and out of Gulf ports. bringing to pass again the same world forces of economy of motion that would have been established long ago if the first English settlers in the United States had found their homes around the Gulf and discovered natures