The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1919-11-29
NATURAL DEVELOPMENT
IS DEFEATED N SOUTH.
COLUMBUS, GA, DISCOURAGING
STEAMBOAT NAVIGATION OF
INLAND WATERS

these, it seems, are still in reverse
gear in their movements in the VI
cinity of Columbus, Ga. That COM
munity, after having been made a
beneficiary of extensive government
improvements of waterways, has
yielded to ill-advised spasms of
jealousy, and has actually thwarted
the general industrial growth of a
vast area Of country, in f~urtherance
of its belief that the development of
the inland waterways would be det-
rimental to its own narrow COM
mercial sphere. These near-sighted
leaders of Columbus have been dis
eliminating against water routes,
and in order to do this their rail-
roads and wholesalers have estab-
lished a virtual boycott of the river
and lake routes. The Georgia in
terests have evidently become fear
full that the region about st. An
drews Bay, Fla, would give them a
new rival in the commercial world,
and in order to prevent this they
have pursued a policy that has dis
couraged steamboat navigation of
the inland waterways.
The matter mas sometimes been
referred to in Washington as an
instance of pork barrel" extrava-
gance. and it is argued that If peo-
pie do not want to be helped, why
should the government spend money
in trying to build up and develop
their natural resources. In this in
stance the inland waterways have
their natural. outlet at a fine nat
ural port on st. Andrews Bay, serv-
ing hundreds of square miles of ter
ritory. The Georgians are evidently
afraid that some one besides them
selves may prosper through COM
mercial development of the water
ways-so they have decided that
they won't play" In 1908 the
commerce covered by the Apalachi-
cola, Flint, Chattahoochee and other
inland waterways into st, Andrews
Bay, amounted to between $4,000
600 and $4,000, 900 a year, and in
order that this commerce might OBJ
tain the logical increase intended
by nature herself, the government
made appropriations which were
used in deepening the inland water
ways having their outlet into the
Gulf of Mexico. At the same time
appropriations were made provid-
ing for deepening the channel
through st. Andrews Bay. The
United States army engineers who
recommended the work did SO in the
belief that it would result in open
ing a great system of commerce in
the inland waterways. To this all
sensible minded ne agreed. How
aver, some of the up country sec
tions conceived the idea that their
prestige was threatened, and they
have so effectually defeated the in
tent of Uncle Sam that steamboat
transportation has decreased instead
of increased. Columbus is the not
able offender. and with it's head
showed deep into the sand. it has,
by it's strange course, prevented the
development of the rich sections Of
the country, at the very time when
the BEST brain and Drawn of the
whole southland are trying to push
that region to the front in order
that it may keep step with the rapid
movement of progress in other parts
of the nation.
The Washington government is
fully aware of the nature OF the
Georgia boycott against the Gulf
and inland waterways; and while
the modus operandi of the railway
officials and some of the large bust
hess interests may be within the
legal safety zone, still it hardly
seems possible that Uncle Sam will
long remain a silent party to the
building up a Chinese wall about a
rich section of country, in order
that selfish. Jealous interests like
those in Georgia may continue to
scuttle the river boat transportation
that if uninterrupted would speedily
build up into one of the finest sec
tions of the country in the entire
south.
Eventually, however, st. Andrews
Bay is certain to reach out to the
north and develop its natural re-
sources and surrounding territory
independent of the. reactionary in
fluences conferred in Columbus. for
the hand of progress cannot long be
stayed in the light Of the onward