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't'WJMglV E JZ1 tf jyjyfJKwiJ TKTAVm J New Orleans and the Panama Canal lis II n Till ZI M. "erretar Manager New Orleans Pro ric-io I mon W th the I'anama Canal 1 "so miles dre h to t c south nean r bv (TO miles than New "iork in stan ling as th" nearest great Ameni in seaport to C !on New Orleans has Icon putting her house in order for fifte. i vcars m ml van e t reap the reward of its nitunl advantages How this has been done is fin example of en lc i atriotlsm and far sighted vision that even New "i ck w th ts preponderating influenee Ins found neresarv to follow, for New Or leans r all the seaports of the I nited States w s the first to take possession w th 1 r solute hand of i s pi eat llar b jtilttlis anil the extent ami char a ter f its nunicnpnl) owned water fr-n and he t railroid switching ter minals is a monument to the sagacit) of the men who had the spirit and audaeity to take time bj the forelock and prevent the control of its jrrcatcst aset as a seaport. b) private interests few weeks ago New ", ork announeed that it would expend $ A M" twv In the aeuislt n of its own water front t r minals a d t i huge sum will ro to pav f"r on e 'mill part of its (Treat liar bor frontag In New Orleans lie- citi lens pronounced against private eontrol fifteen vears ago and refused further to lease its wharves to sin h interests. The laws of the State said its river front must ever belong to the people. And it alwa)s has been owned bv the people But for manv vears private interests leased from the mtiniripalit) until peo ple saw t e folic of a pollcs that per m tted the monopolv f its greatest as et terminated the lease and entered into a period of ilium ipal monopolv in which ever) citizen is a direct stock holder From that date the port facil ities at New Orleans took an upward turn and toda with an expenditure of only some J4 IS 000 the wharves of the elt aro coered with modern steel fire proof sheds to protect cargo and the tax on s ipping has been reduced to a minl n ym for tie do k board is operated not for profit but to sere all comers on an equal basis and at a minimum cost In this manner was taken the first ftep to prepare New Orleans as a sea port to profit by her proximity to the Panama Canal I'nl.lc Brit Railroad I jt that was not all W hen the mer chants and exporters found that rail road and shipping terminal facilities be hind the wharves were needed to com plete the conjunction. the) determined upon another venture which, as In the case of all innovations, was hooted at 1 the skeptic and fought bj the pri vate transportation interests These lat tei honestlv thought the) saw a real menace to their and the cil s best in terests but to-daj the Public Belt Rail road of New Orleans running with dou ble tracks immediately behind the pub. , Culebha Cut, Empire. View Looking North from West rOREGflOUJD ISPOWM.TO UrtfDE; I.E. wharves and reaching b switch ard sp ir to minufact ring pants shipping t iblUhmtnts warchou -s and tapping i 1 railroads has come tile re gardc-cl bv nt railroad- themselves as their chi f - ifeguard from cingesticn and the e t rt'on of lines mor acivaiiUK ousi) sit uated So adnnrahlo has the utilltv been lnndlei Iv a non sTlar'fd mtnsiuii c mposed of delegated representatives of f ur commerei il eve hanc-s an 1 those -il pointed it lirge that even the switch i u chirge is absorbed in the rile and wKi!e its b t cars of usefu ness ire Mill ahe-ad cf it the loibllc Kelt Rail r id Ins proved a public lenefactor to the c uninerce of New Orleans These two the piiblirl) owned and op crted wharves and the publiclj owned and operited belt riilroad ihnth for in env vears In actual operation from the fe tindaiioii upon which r st ttie future rii m lopment and securitv of the port of N.w Orleans More extensive still how e er ire the pi ins of tho'e wh-i vs on has not been restricted to the mere present ctmg upon the authoritv given I v a constitutional amendment to the Mate laws a (.rent Pnlillc Warehouse is abo it to be hullt to be operated bv and in conjunction with the public wharis Ihrougn the dork board These plans ce nleniplato tile erecton of an Im mense pi bli warehouse on the harbor front for the storage of general com moditv but principalis for the storage of cotton Galveston, in recent jears has T-tlv outdistanced New Orleans in the export of the chief staple of the I nlted Mates. even though New Orleans remains the largest spot market the seaport market where cotton is stored and held for advantageous release and shipment Galveston with the enormous Texas rop and a railroad commission which stands for Texas first last and all the time behind her, has become one of the great export cities of the world The economic essence of com merce however, does not lie in the transit commodity, but In Its handling and storage The cotton that comes to Galveston Is not seen in that cits and its enormous olume is principal!) a mat ter of figures more than dollars and strategic advantage for the owner of the cotton It comes in cars to shlpside is loaded and carried to Liverpool and Manchester and Hamburg, there to he stored and held for the use and ad vantage of the foreign spinner Under the New Orleans plan of municipalli owned warehousing the cotton will lie held In an American e itv b the Ameri can ewner who ma thus await the most advantageous moment for selling In the meanwhile the expense of han dling and storage will go Into the pockets of American business interests and American wage-earners instead of being transferred gratuitously and without good reason Into the pockets of alien and foreign interests l'ublltl OtvuiiJ l.luhterakc s p Ic-r. Still another great public utility is on the cards (or New Orleans, and while THE WASHINGTON . these plans have not been adopted, they ultimately will be Reference is had to i svstcm of municipally owned harbor inteiage opratd as a part of the I iblV lt.lt Kailroad just as the public warihojse i-v-Um will It operated b th puh'lc dok board The New Orleans plan will differ from that In New lork and other ports onl in tint it will lie owned bv the publi and operated not for protlt, but to re- du e the port and handling charges to a minimum New Orleans has. on both sidts of the river, somi. thirtj miles ot harbor frontage, ever) foot of which will ultlmatels be covered b municipal sheds, backed by municipal belt railroad, termed by municipal lighters, and facilitated b municipal warehouses, the two presently operating branches of which have al nad demonstrited their unquestioned title to precedence as the most success full) publiel) owned port facilities on the American continent I'nre Public VAnler. Not content with providing the shipping of the world with economic utilities, the people of New Orleans decided they would direct!) benefit ever) one of its ii dividual unit human and otherwise, ard voted to t ix themselves $.") C1 000 for a publklv owned s)stem of water, sew eiage ind drainage For the first it had the vast and inexhaustible, volume of the Mississippi River itself to draw from or a untur) or so New Orleans had drurk either the rain water from sur face cisterns or tanks or the mud water, bought from a private monopol) at out rageous prices and filtered privately and at private expense Two vcars ago the great municipal filtration plant was com pleted and put into operation with a capac tv of SnotOOCO gallons per daj The mudd) Mississippi still forms the source of sjjplv but when it rushes with force from the taps of private householders, it is as clear as costal and as pure as in) water in any clt) In the world Not onl) that, but It Is actual!) 60 per cent cheaper than the old mud-water supplied at low pressure by the private monopoly The citizens of New Orleans to-da) en jo not only what is ecjual to the best, but I erhaps the cheapest water in the I nited States Not onl) has the exist ence and use of this pure clean publicly owned water proven a boon to public health, for typhoid is almost unknown In Kew Orleans and the death rate Is reducing annually, but it has caused an economic saving In the cost of fire hazard both to the Insurer in the form of reduced loss and to the Insured In reduced premiums I-ormerlv the mud cloggLd the fire hjdrants and made the work of the fire department abortive Now the Initial pressure alone frequently obviates the necessity for auxiliary en gine energ) Drainage and Scneranr, Corollar) to the water arc the drain age and sewerage s) stems, both potential In the matter of health, and entering into the business economy of the clt) Ten vears ago not a cellar or basement HERALD. SUNDAY. AT GLEVATION existed in N"ew Orleans The soli was too moist Nor were there tall build ings To-lay ever) new sk) scraper has its cellar a double Illustration of the virtue .of drainage for the subsoil has I een dried out and both cellars and heav) buildings are a matter of common construction now Sewerage of the most modern and im proved t)pe adds Its quota to health and happiness and under the law modern sanit ir) connections are computsor) ind the sewerage which formerly went Into cess pools polluted the earth and spread disease, is now carried off and emptied into the Mississippi River, far below the cltv, fort) feet beneath the surface, and where the river is some two hundred feet In depth Commercial Exploitation. In dealing with the forgoing publicly owned wharves belt railroad ware houses lighterage, water drainage, and seweiage mv object was to clearlv point out where New Orleans had lall the broad foundation for commercial su premacy hv suppl)ing the fundamental facilities through which her economic development will come These facilities h-ve prepared the wa) for the Individual 'and private interests which will use New Orleans as a base of operations for the expansion of their self Interest In which the community as a whole, will take Its share Within the past ear three events of the utmost significance have come to pass and which demonstrate the fact that there Have been some to qulckl) realize their oppiirtunlt), and as quick ly take advantage of It The Texas and Taclfic Railroad part of the great Gould s)stem has acquired some twenty squares of ground in the warehouse dis trict of New Orleans. Just behind the wharves and belt railroad and is now spending upward of JlOOnoonn In great terminals supplementing Its private ter minals In Jefferson Parish, a few miles up the river This railroad did not sec but foresaw the handwriting on the wall and the words New Orleans Is the Mis sissippi alle) Gatcwa) to the Panama Canal ' were spelled out in largo letters Thus did the vision of great railroad operators concentrate upon and deter mine an Important economic fact and set about with preparations to capitalize their forsight The other indication of significance Is the innouncement onlj Just made that the enormous exporting firm of W R. Grace & Co , perhaps the largest of its kind in the world had opened in New Orleans for the' purpose of developing more extensively Its already large trade in Central and South America, for, with New Orleans in easy reach of the west coast of these two countries a large part of that business now done out of han Francisco will be handled out of New Orleans Still another feature of great signifi cance Is the big strides being made In the reclamation and development of the wet lands of Southern Louisiana, partlc ularl) In the immediate vicinity of New Orleans With some lOOOO.ouO acres ot reclalmable marsh lands the richness of which is made up of the richness of soils from thtrt)-slx Mates in the Union which have built up the Mississippi delta, the reclamation of Louisiana lands JANUARY 26, 1913 nk.near.Cinetta. 40. is one of the economic features of mod ern times Lands ma) be reclaimed and put on the market for an average ot Ji an acre and sold for S100 and up, and will grow crops twelve months In the )ear Ioulslana has nearlv 5 000 miles of navigable waters and, as most of them are located In the lower section of the State, the reclamation of lands, with Its necessar) canalization brings navigation with It as a natural corollar). and transportation b) water, cheip and safe from the farm to the market And backing up this pioner work comes th announcement Just made that a syndi cate known as the Iauislana Company, composed of bank presidents and capital ists of New Orleans has been organized for the purpose of putting settlers on the lands an enormous highlx financed thoroughl) practical scheme of legitimate exploitation and colonization and devel opment. which wlh give to New Orlean' th it immediate suburban population which Is necessary to its upbuilding and which In selling Its products to and through New Orleans, will create n vast Iv augnic nted market for the manufac tured a tides of the citv Thus have I endeavored to show that New Orleans at ever) point has taken advanced steps to capitalize her propln qult) to the Panama Canal, from mu nicipal ownership of public utilities, to private actlvit) In making the best vise of the courageous foresight of her people JIATTHEW J. LONG. Criminal Sheriff, Parish of Orleans. The office of criminal sheriff of the Parish of Orleans has been intrusted to efficient hands n Matthew J Long, whose successful career here and pre vious public service have most thor oughl) demonstrated his abilit) to fill the position The growth and Increased Importance of Orleans Pansa have added to the amount and details of the duties falling on her officials, and rendered it absolutel) necessary that only conservative men of experience and proven capacity be intrusted with the duties of administering her affairs It Is general!) conceded that Sheriff MatJ then J Long the criminal sheriff of the Parish of Orleans, Is one of the most popular citizens of the Third Ward He was born March 5. lo5, and was educaTed at St Joseph's and St. Mary s Colleges, finishing his studies at the Jesuit College The sheriff was engaged among the cotton houses for quite a few )ears When he reached mans estate he took an active part In the politics ot the regular Democratic party. He has been honored with sev eral public service positions from time to time Under John Fltxpatrlck's ad ministration he was a wharfinger and held the same position under Peter Far rell He served for four scars as one of the port commissioners He Is ' an Elk. and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Tme Excavatoajn.toe- aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaE-TBb . ,?aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaSKav.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaJaitaaaaaaaalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH HON. MARTIN BEHRMAN Mayor of New Orleans Martin Behrman has spent his entire life In New Orleans He rose from the ranks, and can compare his success favorably with any other man of his city. He began his political career when he became a member of the school board manv sears ago Since then he has served consecutively , as clerk of the City Council, assessor. State auditor, and Mayor. He was elected chairman of the Board of Commissioners when New Or leans adopted the commission form of government, on December 1, 1911. Lorn In New lork the son of Henr) and Fredericka Behrman. he was brought to Kew Orltahs at the age of one vear. He managed! to secure a good education, and fluently speaks German and French When quite soung he be gan his career as a retail clerk. He was later a representative of a whole sale house, and has served In various other capacities since He married Miss Julia Collins, of New Orleans in 1SS7 The) have two ch l dren, William Stanley, and Mar) Helen. Mayor Berhman has alwa)s been ac tive In fraternal circles and club Ufa of New Orleans. Ills membership Is now claimed by the Elks. Knights of Co lumbus. Druids. Moose. Buffolos Wood men of the World southern lacht Club New Orleans Progressive Un on and other similar organizations The fea ture of Mr Behrman s political career has been his persistent fight for munici pal and civic improvements.