The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-11-22

way connecting the rivers which flow
to the Gulf of Mexico and extending
them to the Atlantic ocean. There are
also many people living on or in the
counties contiguous to the Mississippi
river and it's tributaries in the north,
who will receive both direct and indi
rect benefit therefrom. Some of these.
north and south, however, receive
more or less benefit from water trans
portation now, and do not come en-
tirely under this classification. Hence,
we will make an estimate based on ten
million people.
DR.. w. J. MCGEE, Of the United
States agricultural department. is
authority for the statement that in
the southern seaboard states, the aver
age while family, rural and Urban, is
able to spend about three hundred
hold utilities and other necessities of
daily life. About one hundred dollars
of this goes for transportation OF these
necessities.
Therefore. ten million people or two
million families living in southern
states, pay for transportation two hun
dred million dollars annually.
Careful estimates show that people
not receiving the benefits of water
competition pay more than one-third
more for transportation than those
having water competition with rail
rates. It Is also estimated that water
transportation costs from 1-6 to Lie
that of rail.
Montgomery's yearly tribute for
transported ton is fourteen million DOL
lars. With proper water transporta-
tion she would save one-third of this
or four and two-third millions an
nually on existing commerce.
This saving cannot be fully realized
without safe inland water connection
| between the bays, sounds, rivers,
bayous, ports and people affected.
Hence, the. Mississippi to Atlantic
Inland Waterway if constructed, will
be a ma terial factor IN saving to the
people of the south, and thereby the
nation, not less than s66.000.000 an
nually on the now existing business of
the seaboard states, by reducing
freight rates.
Resources.
The natural wealth of the section of
the Gulf STATES bordering on the pro-
posed Mississippi to Atlantic inland
| waterway can be scarcely estimated.
| The Gulf coast is the undiscovered,
| undeveloped section of the United
States. Situated on the isothermaI
| line of the Bermuda Islands, the health
| resort of the world, in the pine belt.
on salt water. much of the waterfront
of high. well drained sandy soil. under
| laid with a practically ineXhaustiblc
| supply of artesian water, the location
Is ideal for homes. Boating and surf
| bathing are not surpassed anywhere.
The waters abund in fresh and salt
water fish. The mortality is lower
| than that of any other section of the
| seahoard of the United States. The
richest soil Is that which will produce
| the greatest net results. in a location
available to market. BY the intensive
system of farming the sandy loans of
the Gulf produce not only the largest
| crops grown, but in addition, vege
| to bles and fruits of a succulency and
de1icacy of flavor unknown on other
soils, within practical shipping dis
tance of the northern markets. As
duced. The soil is the most rapid
| conveyor of fertilizer and the hest for
forcing known, and can be worked wet
or dry. Then there are the timber
and mineral resources.
Water is the cheanest power known
The archean edge of the Gulf marks
G.. line Of southern water power.
ing is secured by locating the plant
on the field of production and in close
proximity to fuel or power, having due
regard for transportation.
In the Appalachian mountains is
found Americas greatest store of
hardwood. iron and coal, as we'll as
vast water power. Here then product
and rover are found together, which
are the necessary elements required
for the manufacturing center of the
country.
Much of the Appalachian region is
nearer to the Gulf coast for all rail
haul than to any other section, and
the rail haul may be shortened two
hundred and fifty miles by using the
rivers running from it.
Conditions never existed in the past
which now exist The population of
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