The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1923-05-18
GEORGIA'S STATE PORT
Its Plans and Purposes and What ii Means to
the Georgia Farmers.
(Ry D. G. 5lckers,)

providing for it. That commission
went about the plans and had an ex-
pert survey made of the ports Of the
state. The commission obtained detailed
data on which to propose a state bond
Issue for the development of terminals
with docks and warehouses, grain
elevators. cold storage plants and pos
sibilities for every facility to handle
every product in large quantities. The
commission has in hand the record OF
Montreal and Of New Orleans WHERE
STATE TERMINALS HAVE IN.
STEAD OF COSTING THE TAXPAY-
ERS A CENT MADE MONEY FOR
THE STATE-and they have the pros
pective plans of other state ports in
the Southeast - prospective develop
ment at Wilmington and Charleston up
coast and Jacksonville and Mobile
around the other way.
The farmers themselves however, in
great numbers had not thought out
the plan as a necessity an economic
scheme for outlet for the products to
the markets of the world for all the
times to come; their bankers in the
towns and cities had not taken time
to think the thing out and talk it
over with the farmers mad the other
business men, and so the legislators
at the last session, not having had
the wishes and will of their constit-
uents expressed to them, failed to do
anything in. the matter of state termi-
nails.
The matter is to come up again.
Thousands of farmers and business
men in the state have learned much
Of the proposal and will intelligently
favor the proper sort of solution Of this
great marketing question.
What would happen if there were
state owned terminals at port in
touch with the world, at point where
railroads and highways concentrate to
meet the ships of the seven seas and
where there Is money to back enor-
nous business involved in storing mil
lions of stuff ION which advances could
be made as farmers required money!
is this
No matter what the farms Of Geor-
gia produce there would be safe
place to store the stuff, get advances
upon it, keep it. without deterioration
until markets were right and release
it to the world markets-not simply
the market of the next town or the
county nearby In the same state; beef
cattle raising in the state could be
developed and meat by millions could
be marketed to the East at a profit
so with poultry and eggs and dairy
products; sweet and Irish potatoes by
the millions could be safely stored
to be released to the world when sup
ply and demand combined to make
prices attractive; peanuts and pecans
could be kept in immense quantities
and for indefinite periods - pecans for
example which bring forty cents in
South Georgia and $1.50 a pound in
New York could be sold in New York
when New York was paying that
price; North Georgia apples could be
stored by the thousands of barrels
to be sent by refrigerator boat to New
York and Boston and Philadelphia and
Washington when they could meet and
match the fancy apples of the North
west.
So with dozens Of other products
and with grain to fill elevators at the
terminal port.
With such reservoir the production
of these articles for which a certain
profitable market could be afforded
would be stimulated. Still other crops
would assume commercial importance.
In short, the state port and state
terminals would prove the great agri-
cultural products banking institution,
the clearing house, the reservoir and
distribution point, che stabilizer and
STANDARDIZED Of the created wealth Of
the state.