The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-22
Army Engineers Hear
Arguments for a Canal

Army Engineers Hear
Arguments for a Canal
CONTINUED from Page Two)
from points in Alabama. Demopolis,
Selma and Montgomery. and points
on the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers
ship cotton by boat, but the larger
portion comes by rail. All Of these
cities would be Immediately benefited
by the inland waterway which we are
advocating. The freight on cotton
carried by water is very much less
than the freight on cotton carried by
rail and it would seem to be reason.
able to infer that some part Of that
cotton would come TO Pensacola by
water instead of coming by rail, I
recognize that there are two factors
that would stand in the way of Pen
sacola securing ali this trade by va.
ter; that is to say, Mobile stands in
the gateway to intercept what she
can: that at times there must be
rapid shipmens and these shipments
would probably be made by rail-. But
assuming that one-third of that cot.
ton came on-200 miles from Demop-
oils, $50 miles from Selma and
fraction more from Montgomery-is
1t not reasonable to infer that one.
third would come to Pensacla through
the waterway?
"The rates I have not at hand and
am therefore unable to make an ex-
haustive presentation of the subject
of cotton shipments, but at the lowest
calculation the saving would be 81
per bale Computing that one the ba-
sis of $4,000 bales we have a saving
Of $4,000 per annum on cotton alone
WOULD SAVE $262,0Co.
According to the figures quoted we
have a saving on the three items with
out reference to 4ther shipments,
amounting to 1852 ,O00--a saving in
freight alone between the point of
origin and the point of destination.
II this be true, and the figures seem
to be reasonable, then there would be
saving yearly on these three items
Of nearly two-thirds of the cost OF the
lesser project.
I'm consideration of the future we
are involved, more or less, in specula-
ton, but we have to speculate and
reason on those conditions that may
come hereafter. Pensacola is not a
manufacturing city; it manufactures
very little of anything. But there are
no reasons why it should not become
a manufacturing center if conditions
were such as to Justify 1t by reason
of the cost of the crude material.
Take cotton: I understand that the
cotton mills of thu Carolinas and
Tennessee and Georgia are along the
lines of railroad, but the reason is
quite clear. There Is no competition
between the railroads and any water
way; there is no opportunity to take
the crude product to the seacoast to
manufacture, and the manufactured
product being lighter than the crude
costs less to manufacture where the
crude product originates. But If we
eliminate railroad transportation and
cost Of one-third to one-sixth, we have
eliminated a factor which makes man
ufacture at the seacoast prohibitive.
II We can get cotton to Pensacola for
so cents per bale, and We are paying
$50 Or $500, then We have reduced
the cost by 800 or $3.50 per bale and
have made manufacture on the sea.
coast possible.
IF we can get pig iron laid down
here at an immense saving in the cost
Of transportation and then get 1t man.
ufactured into articles of export at
a cost equal to that which is manu-
featured in Birmingham or the Birm-
ingham district, there Is no reason
why Pensacola should not be an iron
manufacturing and exporting point.
The l.. & N. rate on pig iron from
Birmingham to Pensacola is 50 per
long ton. The Alabama Consolidated
Coal & Iron Co. estimate that 1t can
be transported by water for "a cents
per ton. Under existing conditions
that item cuts no figure. The differ
ence between So per ton and Is cents
per ton, on shipments coming from
the rivers of Alabama, would be 1926
per ton-a very handsome profit on
articles manufactured from iron
There is manganese iron ore in Cuba
which could be imported for the man
ufacture of steel. If it was imported
and the manufacture took place here
with a saving of 1925 per ton on
freight, there is no reason why Pen
sacola should not manufacture and
| export steel also.
In this connection II Is hardly
necessary to speak of the Panama
canal II trouble would stop in Cen
| trail America we would have a market
there at this time. Whan the canal
is completed We will have not only
Central America but the whole west
coast of South America-and the time
| is coming when Pensacola will manu-
facture cotton goods. farming imple
| ments and all things that enter into
agricultural life, which will be trans
ported, via the Panama canal, to the
ports of South America and the
| islands of the Pacific.
81 am going to close my argument
here. for I understand there is gen
tleman present who will address the
board on the resources and advan
tages of South Alabama, and particu
larly the State of Baldwin which is
larger than the state of Rhode Island
a territory advancing rapidly and
which needs transportation to the out
side world. and who will also argue
for the construction of this canal
II might speculate on the advan
tages to the immense region to the
east Of ls. The government has ap
| nroved the nroiect for the deenenine