Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-24
WATERWAY NOT USED
Millions Expended on Improv'
ing the Mississippi.
LITTLE TRAFFIC ON RIVER
Exports of Flour and Grain From
New Orleans Fall OFF.
OTHER ROUTES ARE EMPLOYED
Opposition Of Southern Congressman
to Government Aid of Steam
ship Lines.
BY WILLIAM +. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and tho
Chicago Record Herald.


NEW ORLEANS, March ~ 1909
Something serious is the matter down
here The foreign commerce of New Or
leans is growing too slowly. The number
of vessels entering the port in 1908 was
1910 a falling off from 1873 in 1903. but
they were larger vessels and the tonnage
increased from s.sa6 405 in 1908 to 4312.-
2sS in 1905.
The imports Of foreign merchandise in
creased from S2s914. 800 in 1905 to Sal, TT,
coo in 1908.
The exports increased from S143, 500, t6S
in 19e; TO S1jS, 455.2i9 in 1908.
The exports of cotton fell off i'm bulk
hut Increased in value being 2.:;9J .51S.
bales. valued at s101,171,:,5. in 1905. as
against .s6s, 22;;,;3 bales valued at Sl13 17O,-
us. in 1905.
The exports of -four and grain have
fallen off tremendously for some reason
or another. The exports of wheat from
New Orleans i'm 1893 were 10, 452. 49,
bushels: corn. 14.3S..006 bushels, and
-four LOSSES barrels, as against only
5.G29o91 bushels of wheat; 4.626, Si3
bushels of corn and $50 20 barrels of
-four in 1908.
There is something radically wrong
about this All the wheat. the corn.
and flour, that is exported from the
United States is grown i'm the Mis-
sissippi valley or on the plains west
of the Mississippi. and the people of
this country have been taxed TO pro-
river at 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 al
ways c1amoring for more appropriations
ana 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 TAX
ing no steps TO provide them.
| am told here by excellent authority
that there has not been a boat of any
capacity built for the trade CT this city
for several years. and that the number
OF steamers on the Mississippi river is
smaller today than il has been for the
last half century And yet the expendi-
ture OF millions annually for the inn
provement of the Mississippi and its trib-
party of excursionists came down from
Pittsburg not long ago. 1t was for pleas
ure. not for business, however. 1t was
chartered for that particular excursion
and constitutes the entire passenger traf-
fic for the route. During the last five
years. as l have shown you. the exports
OF wheat have fallen to less than one
third: the exports of corn to only about
cne-fourth. and the exports of -four to
about one-half what they were five years
ago.
Something is wrong with New Orleans
Steamship Lines Much Needed.
Another astonishing fact is that out of
total of $i5s.455.219 exports from this
city to foreign markets only 81. 784.se
was carried in American ships. No city
in the country needs steamship lines SO
much as New Orleans. unless it be Mobile,
Pensacola, Galveston and other gulf ports
and yet every member of Congress from
ft,A n, f4S
reasonable mail pay to American steam
ship lines. which was defeated in the
House of Representatives during the final
days of the late session, with the excep-
ton of Capt Hobson of Alabama and Mr..
Estopinal of this city. The reason every
other southern member of Congress voted
against il was because the democratic
caucus decided to oppose it as republi-
measure. In other words Champ
Clark and other democratic leaders did
not favor the policy and did not want
the republican party to derive any credit
from the legislation Hence the votes of
all but two southern men were cast
against it.
The boards or trade. the chambers of
commerce and other commercial and in
dustrial organizations throughout the
south very generally Endorsed the bill be-
cause they are composed of men who
realize the Importance of building uD
merchant marine under the American flag
But sectional politics is more important.
CNiuSitiS' ioi nave iiot HcdFu 1ndt any
representative from this section has been
rebuked for acting contrary to the rec
concentrations of these organizations
Therefore IL may be assumed that the
people of this section think more OF the
opinion of the democratic caucus at
Washington than they do of their own
commercial interests. That is the trou-
BILE throughout the south. Political con-
siderations have more influence than any
thing else.
Ii is gratifying however, to know that
two men have the moral courage and the
practical common sense to vote in support
ar the interests of their constituents
rather than the program of the demo-
cratic leaders in Congress. Everybodr
knows who Capt. Hobson is-the hero of