Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-27
At new ORLEANS.
Traffic Of The Lower Miss
issippi River.
City Nouns Loss Of Former
Large Export Trade.
1hinps and Men in the Famnus and
Things and Men in the Famous and
Picturesque Old City.

serious is the matter down here. The
foreign commerce of New Orleans is
growing too slowly. The number of
vessels entering the port in 1908 was
1910. a falling off from 1913 in 1903,
but they were larger vessels and the
tonnage increased from $3.50, 405 in 1903
to 4.312,oSS in 1908.
The imports of foreign merchandise
increased from $2S, 914.556 in 1903 to ST.
1896 in 1908.
The exports Increased from $145, $685.
76S in 1903 to $15S, 455,219 in 1908.
The exports of cotton fell off in bulk,
but increased in value. being 1855, SIS,
bales. valued at $101, III 1852 in 1903, as
against 1,S6S,233 bales, valued at $113,-
1918, in 1908.
The exports of flour and grain have
fallen off tremendously for some rea-
son or another. The exports of wheat
from New Orleans in 1908 were 16,452-
1875 bushels; corn, 1889, 006 bushels,
and :iour 1.0S5,92S barrels, as against
only 5.029,591 bushels of wheat; 1885,
S43 bushels of corn and 1926 barrels
of flour in 1908.
There is something radically wrong
about this. All the wheat, the corn,
and Hour, that is exported from the
United States is grown in the Mis-
sissippi valley or or the plains west
of the Mississippi and the people of
this country have been taxed to pro-
vide a waterway down that great riv-
err at q cost of more than a hundred
million dollars to furnish cheap trans
portation for those staples to foreign
ports. The people of New Orleans are
always clamouring for more appropri-
ations and yet they have no boats
upon the river; they have no means
Of using the improved navigation
routes that have been created for them,
and they are taking no steps to provide
them.
| am told here by excellent authority
that there has not been boat of any
capacity built for 1.-THE trade of this
city for several years, and that the
number of steamers on the Mississippi
river is smaller today than it has been
for the last half century And yet the
expenditure of millions annually for
the Improvement of the Mississippi
and its tributaries continues. One boat
containing a party of eXcursiOnists
came down from Pittsburg not long
ago. 1t was for pleasure, not for bust
ness. however. 1t was chartered for
that particular excursion and consti-
tuteS the entire passenger traffic for
the route. During the last five years.
as ! have shown you, tho exports of
wheat have fallen to less than one
third: the exports of corn to only about
onc-fourth, ana the exports Of flour to
about onc-half what they were five
years ago.
Something is wrong with New Or
leans.
Another astonishing fact is that out
of total Of SEES 55219 exports from
this city to foreign markets only So
7S4,8G% was carried in American ships
No city in the country needs steam
shin lines to much as New Orleans
unless 1t be Mobile. Pensacola, Calves
ton and other gulf ports and vet every
member of Congress from the south
voted against the bill offering reason
able mail nay to American steamship
lines. which was defeated in the House
of Representatives during the final
DAYS of the late session. with the ex-
coptio;, of Capt. Hohson Of Alabama
and MI. Estopinal of this city. The
reason every other southern member
of Congress voted against it was be-
cause the democratic caucus decided
to oppose it as a republican measure.
In other words. Champ Clark and other
democratic leaders did not favor the
policy and did not want the republic
can Earty to derive any credit from
the legislation. Hence the votes OF all
but two southern mon were cast
against it.
The boards of trade. the chambers
of commerce and other commercial
and industrial organizations through
OFT the south very generally Endorsed
the bill. because they are composed of
men who realize the Importance of
building up a merchant marine under
the American flax But sectional poll
ties is more important. evidently, for
have not heard that any representa-
tive from this section has been re
buked for acting contrary to the rec
concentrations of these organizations.
Therefore it may be assumed that the
people of this section think more of
the oprion of the democratic caucus
at Washington than they do Of their
own commercial interests. That is the
trouble throughout the south. Polti-
cal considerations have more influence
than anything else.
1t is gratifying. however, to know
that two men have the moral courage
and the practical common sense to
vote in support of the interests of their
constituents rather than the program
of the democratic leaders in Congress.
Everybody knows who Capt Hobson is
the hero of the Merrimac. Mr..
Estopinal. who also voted in favor of
encouraging a merchant marine. is a
lawyer of this city and large planter.
He was once lieutenant governor Of
the state, and has represented the
second district. which includes part
of the city of New Orleans. for two
terms
The people down here are taking the
same attitude on the tariff. They de-
mand protection for their own peculiar
products, but they want free trade in
the products of other people. The