The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-06-26
NeedfuI for States Progress.
From the Atlanta Journal.

+ News that the supreme court OF Alaoalha
has confirmed the right of that state to issue
ten million dollars of bonds Tor Improvement
of the Mobile port, brings to the front AGAIN
a line of enterprise in which Georgia IS ma
+eriallv concerned. Leaders OF our nelghDor
commonwealth, seeing that it will oeneht
all interests, agricultural and industrial as
well as commercial to develop their chlef
outlet to the world highways OF ocean trace,
are prepared to go unitedly forward TO that
good end. Legal impediments having Oeen
removed the strokes of the builders, no
doubt, will soon be ringing; and when their
1abors are done Alabama will hold the means
to a nightly augmented power and pros
perity.
Shall Georgia profit by this example, or
continue hating in the face OF splendid OPP
portunities? A year ago the Journal was
presenting columns of impressive facts and
figures from the records of state-oWned port
terminals at Montreal, New Orleans and else
where. all of which went to show the value
of such facilities not alone to the districts IN
which they were located, but to the Wnole
region for hundreds of miles about. The
farmers of Louisiana have reaped advantages
bevond measure from the improved port
services of that state. and so, too, have the
manufacturers and merchants. A movement
for enlarged and publicly-owned terminals
began years ago when it was realized that
for want of these the state was tagging and
which by nature it was entitled.
In 1908 the legislature proposed and the
people ratified a constitutional amendment
authorizing for this purpose bond issue OF
three and half million dollars. SO well was
this fund expended and so valuable the re-
suits it brought that five years later an
other issue of three and a half million dol
lars was authorized for further develop
ments With this was constructed cotton
warehouse, a grain elevator and kindred Ia
ci1ities which gave the port and the common
wealth still greater advantages Then IN l9Zl,
when new state constitution was adopted,
it was specified therein that another port
bond issue of six and half million dollars
should be issued; and, moreover, that the
port commissioners should have blanket au-
thority to issue bonds at intervals OF two
wears to the amount which could be retlr-
ed by the net revenues of terminals, the ag-
gregate being limited to thirty-five million
dollars Thus far total OF more than sew
enteen and quarter million has been issued.
This is what the people of Louisiana think
of the desirability of state action for the de-
ve1opment of port facilities Their testimony,
expressed in repeated approval of bond IS
sues for the purpose, may well be consider
ed by the people of Georgia especially now
that Alabama is making ready to go Tor
ward with a similar enterprise. II our state
is not to be outstripped in this increasingly
important sphere of service and opportunity,
If her farming interests are not to suffer and
her industry and commerce not to lag IN
comparison with that of more progressive
neiphbors there must be aCtion-prompt,
vigorous and united. The incoming legsla-
ture owes it to the people to see that this
vast and vital interest is no longer neglected.