Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-02-17
WHAT THE PANAMA CANAL WILL DO
0 DEVELOPMENT OF WEST TEXAS
PREDICTED BY PROPHETIC WRITER

A few weeks ago when President
Taft was making his swing around
the country | attended a dinner at
which he spoke. For a week | had
looked forward TO this occasion with
a good deal Of pleasant anticipation.
IL was Tumored that he was to an
nounce some new policy. Imagine
my disappointment, therefore, when
the POSTMASTER calmly announced
that President Taft had decided to
talk on the Panama canal.
"Shucks. it's robbery and decep-
ton said | to myself. why do |
want to hear about the Panama can
all What is there left to tell?'
The president began to tell about
the Panama canal. Many of the
things he told had heard before;
] began 10 gro a little restless.
Then, suddenly he launched into a
discussion Of the commercial adyan-
tages the canal was going to have.
Tie told how, In a certain number OF
years, It's effect would have been so
great as to almost pay for the IN
yestment. lie told why. | began to
sit mp and listen. About a thou.
sand other men sat up. too.
There was = new angle in this. |
had thought and read a good deal
about this feature Of the canal be-
fore, but the enthusiasm Of the pres
ident added new strength and i'm
p%ortance to his figures. Statistics
began to belch forth opportunities.
Better than before, ! could see the
tremendous possibilities that were
destined to open with the completion
Of the canal.
And the president fixed that date
az 1919. That Is a year OFF. There's
fore, ! have been looking into the
subject pretty deeply Of late. Here
Is what | have found out:
Stating fact number one, OF the
S2.O49. 1919 worth Of merchandise
exported from the United States In
the last fiscal year. S7i7.4SS,47S Of
1914 per cent. passed out through
southern ports. And OF the total
exports S9ii.0OO. 900 or a per cent
originated directly or indirectly in
the south. And this made up from
n section Of the country that con
tains less than one-third OF IN pop
ulation. These figures have n fur
Their significance in pointing ont the
future commercial and Industrial
Importance Of the southern states.
Take Galveston. In 1850 Calves
ton was fourth among the southern
cities as an export center. In 1900,
however, she ranked third among
the ports Of the United States, hav-
ing increased her export business
from $4,000. Geo TO S5,0OD, 900.
That placed her first among the SOU
thern ports. Then came oven great
err progress The result was. IN 1910
Galveston assumed a position second
only % that of New York as an ey-
port center. her Si73l7S.oo2 worth
Of o@utgo,ng merchandise Giving her
the distinction OF controlling % ncI
cent OF the total exports o. tho south
New Orleans. NOT very Ter of.. s.
not much hohiud. Back 90 1850 and
1909 New Drlor0s 'sl tho south ,u
exports Baltimore 81 this time vr
o. close second willie G"al.,.fo. was
several notchos below lu imports
on the other hand Ne. Or'..us rarN
ed second 10 Baltimore on 1850 and
1900. while I'm 1''H 70 dis'auc,l tho
Maryland port D., more t'ln S2c,-
eco. GOO and with its s"-5.r1-.t-i Of
imports came On inst behind Phil
adelphla rs the fourth import cen
ter OF the United States.
The Importance OF these factr IS
found in the proposition that they
herald Enthusiastically the future
growth of the southern cities as COM
mercial and industrial contcrs. II.
without tho canal the two lcldlne
ports on the Gulf Of Mexico can as
sumo such tremendous importance as
shipping c%enters. what may they not
become when, as a result Of the Fam
ANA cut, they are made logical dis
trihutlng ccnters for goods both go
Inc and coming from an sections Of
the world9
BIT how, Won ask, does thPt at.
feet the southwest rs n whole " hcrc
viii you and | gain
Markets of the World.
fake out your man of the United
States. run your pencil down 20 Texas
continue Il diagonallv across the gulf
Of Mexico to the Panama canal. and
strn t0r a moment there TO consider
and digest the fact that Texas aud
the other states of the southwest are
destined to become the great d,strI-
hutinc points TO the coming markets
OF the world.
The Geographical location of Texas
makes e today the natural HIGHWAY