COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES OF SHALLOW STREAMS 37 



ucts came on a 27-cent rate, against 16 vent railroad extortion and to make the 



cents to Mobile ; and on the hundred open river a fair competitor for the rail 



cars of nails shipped from Pittsburg to lines. 



Montgomery every year the city paid a -he figures which have given in 



rate of 45 cents, against 29 cents to this not only concern the-actual terminal 



Mobile these four items alone handi- situation, but at the same time they give 



capping Montgomery to the extent of 7u a very good idea of the value of 



$i72,oo'o, so that Mobile was able to water competition in making rates. 



ship by retail into Montgomery terri- [hat Montgomery even though it is a 



tory for less prices than the Mont- riv , er town, should be charged 22 cents 



gomery jobbers could wholesale in the a barrel more for northern flour than 



& 1 t- ' t Mobile is a startling confession of the 



n this state of affairs, Mr. G. Gros- ^\y { the , railr ad to h [. frei S ht 



venor Dawe, who was then the secre- at low rates when it has to, at the same 



Sry of the Chamber of Commerce at * that / 1S a s **'"& f a P le of ^ 



r y ,, i 4 A/T - -i A r -17 w otl failure of a small river to lower rates 



Montgomery ; the late Mr. W when the dements Q tr rtation are 



diver a very energetic and public- not ovided< 



spirited wholesale grocer of Mont- R M{ Birmingham, Jack- 



gomery, and Mr. Kealhofer began a sQn A t M C g lumbia J and 



campaign to reduce the Montgomery al] the ^ dties Qn thg heads of ^ 



rates. Efforts to persuade the railroad southern rivers and easil access ible to 



to lower them were in vain, and when the heads of these rivers b ghort rai] _ 



they used strenuous measures the Hnes> are all these SQUth _ 



Louisville and Nashville Railroad set eastem classification rates which Mont- 



up a grocery house of its own and spent gomery pa id rates which are all based 



thousands of dollars trying to destroy on L c L classifications, and are so 



their trade. It was evident that the designed as to shut the West off from 



railroads would not help, but the river tne southeastern market, to shut the sea- 



was there, and when the idea came to pO rts out from the interior, and to com- 



them that perhaps the elimination of the pe l these inland cities, in spite of their 



heavy local transfer charge on the river rivers, to trade in New York. 



might help them they began a public The same rates which shut you out 



movement for a terminal dock. That from your seaport shut you out from 



movement, I am glad to say, I helped your export trade. If you are going to 



along in some small degree. Mr. Keal- manufacture goods in the endeavor to 



hofer has carried it on his shoulders, place them in South America you must 



and it has passed successfully through reach your seaport without paying these 



the stages of a public election and action extortionate railway charges, and when 



by the city council, and a wharf and you propose to do so you are confronted 



freight elevator which will deliver all with the same situation that confronted 



the steamboat freight at the top of the Montgomery. Your river is navigable 



bank is now in process of construction, after a fashion, and you have the op- 



This elevator, I do not hesitate to say, portunity to make it better, but your 



will take 12 cents off the cost of deliver- river is a long way from the factory, 



ing every barrel of water-board flour in the river bank is a mudpile, the road to 



Montgomery, and it will be equally erfi- it is poor, your factory is on a sidetrack 



cacious with other freights. It is only a a mile from the wharf, and 50 cents to 



$10,000 investment, and when steel $2 a ton represents the tax you would 



barges come into the Alabama River it pay if you tried to use the river. Stir 



will have to be increased to a $50,000 yourselves then ; study the Montgomery 



investment to take care of the rapidly movement ; analyze the success of New 



growing traffic. But it is a sign of the Orleans in cutting off her local switch- 



times a public development, public ing and transfer charges, putting her- 



terminal facilities open to all on equal self on a par with outsiders at her .own 



terms, furnished by the public to pre- terminal docks : then when you go home 



