12 The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



Importance of Agricultural 

 Development to the Cities 



By Ernest Lee Jahncke 



President of the New Orleans Association 

 of Commerce 



Gentlemen : — With the same earnestness evinced by our Hon- 

 orable Mayor, I, also, as President of the New Orleans Associa- 

 tion of Commerce, want to welcome you to this conference and to 

 express pleasure at having you come to this city to hear the dis- 

 cussions upon, and endeavor to solve problems so vital to the 

 nation's welfare at this time. 



As the head of a civic body organized for the purpose of 

 promoting the industrial and commercial welfare of New Orleans, 

 I realize the importance which the work you gentlemen are under- 

 taking has upon the development of this and other cities of the 

 South. The head of the greatest statistical organization in the 

 country recently said that in 1950 the largest city in the United 

 States would be situated in the South and the chief reason upon 

 Nation s which he based this prophecy was the potential resources in this 



"' territory, which you are now endeavoring to uncover. To release 

 Mau Be in ^^^^ dormant wealth for the public good will require a great deal 

 South of work, not only on the part of the agricultural interests, but in 



co-operation with the Chambers of Commerce and Boards ot Trade, 

 with the transportation lines, the bankers, the merchants, the trade 

 organizations and the colleges and experiment stations. The growth 

 and prosperity of all these factors are interdependent; the losses, 

 sustained by one are shared directly or indirectly by the others, and 

 the touch of Fortune is felt by all alike. 



If the farmers in a locality have had good crops and are able, 

 with the co-operation of the financial and commercial agencies, to 

 Co-operation market same profitably the effect is felt all through the district. 

 Necessary to If, through lack of practical aid being given to the rural communi- 

 Success ties, or in the absence of such communities there is no effort to 



develop them, the cities and towns in those sections cease to pro- 

 gress, and if the proper steps are not taken, the retrograde move- 

 ment begins. 



