TRANSPORTATION AND COMMERCE. Louisiana is exceptionally well favored in its facilities for water transportation. It claims a greater mile age-377l miles—of navigable streams than any other State of the Union. These afford competi tion with the railroads of the State and thus have a very beneficent effect upon transportation rates. A canal constructed from the Nississippi River to Lake Borgne greatly shortens the pas sage from New Orleans to the Gulf. (For :Missis sippi improvements, see AltssiSSIPP1 RIVER.) Railroads were slow in developing in the State, and in 1880 (here were only 652 miles. but this was increased during the following decade to 1739, and in the decade 1890-1900 to 2801 Dines. Louisiana has become the objective point for a number of the leading Southern railroads. The lines having the greatest mileage within the State in 1900 were those operated by the Southern Pacific Company, the Texas and Nellie Company, and the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Com pany. Louisiana has a railroad commission
which has oversight also of water routes. It is authorized "to adopt, change, or make reason able rates, charges, and regulations, to govern and regulate railroad, steamboat, and other water craft, prevent unjust discrimination in rates," elected from each district. The decisions of the commission have seldom been reversed.
The port of New Orleans is the most important one on the southern coast of the United States, and is exceeded only by New York and Boston in the amount of its foreign trade. For the year ending June 30, 1902, the value of the imports amounted to $23,703,480, and the exports to $134,4S0,803.