The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-30

Press Association
Our little town counts it q great,
good fortune that the North Carolina
Press Association should come this
way and for the time become our
guest.
To me has been assigned the i'm
portant duty Of delivering TO you who
have SO honored us today a message
to take back home with YOU to he dis
tant parts Of the old North state for
your future reflection and comment.
You will pardon us just at this op-
perfume time for talking a little bust
ness with YOU, because this social fea-
ture today has q business side To it.
and you need not be surprised to find
that Southport has designs upon our
good offices and desires TO enlist your
valuable services.
1T is our purpose that your Incl
dental trip down the river to this har-
Dor and To this town shall not only
he one Of pleasure 90 you, but that
il shall prove Of some value to our
beloved commonwealth, because it is
a question of Statewide Importance
OF which | shall speak.
y Neglected ASSET.
Nou have today passed over n
bosom Of Il spacious and magnificent
harbor. 1t is one Of North Cardinals
greatest neglected assets. 1t is an
asset because Of the undeyelOpcd op-
]pcrtunities it offers to the people Of
the state to build a great seaooTt
and secure for themselves certain
commercial advantages that properly
belong to u tideWater state. Nature
has don here what ii would require
untold millions to equal t-any other
inlet or point on the 500 miles of our
North Carolina coast. 1t is q natural
harbor of refuge. 1t Is rot only the
finest harbor on our North Carolina
coast, but it is n of the best har-
-na A-- V1A A,t4I 80 L., a-I
is the nearest to the deep sea. Yet,
its capabilities are in a great mea-
sure unknown to the build
erS of the state.
Only recently to these shores has
been completed the first railroad on
Meeting with the Seaboard and the
Atlantic Coast Line at Navassa. and
bringing a new day of opportunity
to this port.
You gentlemen are conversant with
n great fight in our STATE for lower
freight rates. You are ware that
u people are paying an extra burden
on products from the North, West and
the South. There is also a loss to Us
on the extra charge on products
freighted from inland towns to the
shipping ports outside the state.
Has ii occurred to business mer
what a revolution would be wrought
if North Carolina had here a rate baS-
ing port? Arc the hands Of oui
captains of industry SO tied that they
cannot turn for relief through The
natural and legitimate channel?
The question IS, shall North Caro-
lima build up her seaport, or mus
our people continue to he burdene(
with the discouraging weight Of eX
ira freight charges. based upon tn,
competitive water rate to a, siste
state. plus the local rate from Their
into North Carolina
Important Factor.
a most important factor in the in
tricate question of securing jus
freight rates is the consideration q
Virginia cities are now fiourishin
commercially, largely by reason of tn
reduced railroad rates on certai
commodities compelled by water con
petition at the port Of Norfolk.
North Carolina people pay on
number Of commodities that Vii
Ginia city rate, plus the local raj
into North CAROLINA. We do tn
because We have 10 seaport throu2
which n sufficient volume Of trad
passes to make it a race basing por
With railroad facilities at hand.
now remains for North Carolina bus
ness men to meet the\other requir,
ment, that Of putting a ~suficiel
volume Of business through the po
that it may fairly become a rate ba
ing port.
The situation requires not only rs
and terminal facilities on deep waite
but ais a sufficient throue
the port for the rate commissions
properly class the port as a railro;
rate base. To get tina volume
coming this way is the wo
ahead Of the people of North Car
lima.
soon the Panama Canal opens a,
new commercial opportunities Will
offered to the alert business intere.
along the South Atlantic coast. Sh;
North Carolina have any share in t
promised commercial growth VIII
the canal opens Are we ready
the canal? What will the Panar
Canal mean in a business way
North Carolina? You say to the bu
ness men Of North Carolina: CT
READY Fer THE CANAL RU:
NESS-AND GO IT.