Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-04
LOWER PORT RATES
URGED BY GOVERNOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE ANSWERS AR
GUMENT AGAINST CHEAPER
RATES AND POINTS OUT BENE-
FITS To BE DERIVED.

CAIRO. Ca. NAY before a crowd Of
rev thousand. the Grady county public
buildings were Friday formerly opend-
Early morning brought great crowds from
ali over the county
At II O'Clock a parade half mile long-
headed BY two bands. wendell its way
from the courthouse TO the schoo'
park
honor guest was met by committee OF
citizens. He arrived at 1913 from Thom-
asviIle
Judge s A. Roddenberry. OF Thomas
vile. made the first speech Of the occa-
sion on the confederate Dead" He was
followed by Governor Smith. who receiV-
"a intense applause. and spoke Tor an
hour 20 fully FIVE thousand people on I.ie
subject Of education. He dealt Win lhe
subject in detail. reeiting industries OF
the state. their effect upon the farmer
and the process BY which he might I'M
nrove his mental and physical condi-
ton.
Governor Smith said in part;
..-rhe progreSS of our state in materlsi
~rouwfh must depend upon the intelligent
nandlfn OF resources. We produce enough
to make the people OF the state rapidly
grow rich or at least acquire eompe-
teneies.
..TuERE ARE TOO MANY DRAINS
Upon PRODUCTION. One Of the losses
i due TO the failure OF farmers 10 ralse
everything needed for food in the state
upon the farms. Our wonderful diversity
81 climate and soil should stimulate di-
verSified crops. FoOdstuffs should De
shipped out OF Georgia for sale They
should not be bought and shipped into
Georgia for use
zone OF the great problems is that of
transportation
Georgia took a valuable step forward
when the convict lease system was abol-
ished. and convicts were placed upon the
roads.
GOOD ROADS WILL GREATLY
LESSEN THE COST OF TRANSPORTA-
TON BY PRIVATE CONVEYANCES.
while AT the same time they will stimulate
AGRICULTURAL progress by removing the
ISOLATION Of rural life
Railroad Transportation
Transportation by railroads is also an
important consideration in the accumula-
ton OF property BY GeOrgians.
"A RAILROAD DOES NOT PRODUCE
WEALTH LIKE A FARM OR A FAC
TCA.Y II merely transports what farms
aR factories produce. railroad Is OF
great service by making transportation
what the railroad company charges
Tor transportation is a burden on COM
merce. but il the charges are reasonable
II is a just burden.
The less the charge by the railroad
company. the hetter for the farmer, man
ufacfurer and merchant. provided the
charges are sufficient TO properly main
tain the service and pay reasonable re-
turns on the money invested in the rail-
road.
THE RATES TO AND FROM THE
PORTS OF THE STATE not only fur
nish the basis for trade among our own
people. but also open the markets of the
world 10 our people to buy and sell in
them -.-..s ...
IF our people produce something for
sale outside the state. the lower the
freight 70 our ports. the more profit the
producer win receive for his labOrs.
Illustration by Cotton
LET me illustrate by cotton. The local
BUYER has a price at which he can sell
cotton per pound in Manchester or
Bremen. He at once deducts the price of
transportation OF the cotton TO the place
Of sale This gives the real sum the cot
ton viii be worth TO him in the local
market. He determines the price he can
pay the farmer by the price which the
cotton viii bring in the foreign markets
less the cost OF transportation
IF YOU REDUCE THE CHARGE
FOR HAULING COTTON TO YOUR
PORTS FIFTY CENTS PER BALE IT
WILL BE NEARLY THAT MUCH PUT
INTO THE POCKETS OF THE FARM
Err
IF you reduce the cost Of transporta-
ton from your ports TO interior points.
you lessen the cost 10 the consumers OF
things brought through the ports which
they buy.
But il has been claimed to lessen the
price 70 Georgia buyers OF things brought
in through the ports would injure GeOr-
STA factories by compelling them TO sell
20 the people OF Georgia at lower prices.
Factory Can Compete
Are our factories babies that they can
not right here on the ground compete
with factories at a distance? What Geor-
Ria factories are there which object to
lower rates from the ports of Georgia?
Not our cotton factories. They ship
their products through Liverpool TO Chi
ma They buy machinery outside the
state Lower rates from the ports
would help them
-Aur furniture factories ship to New
England and Texas. THEY NEED No
PROTECTIVE RAILROAD TARIFF
The man who thinks Georgia factories
would be ruined by lower rates TO and
from the ports OF Georgia must have
railroad instincts or deficient knowledge
we have been told that lowering rates
from the west caused no benefit to the
peopl eof the state because the factories