INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE. As a manufactur ing New Orleans ha* many advantages, among which may be mentioned the following: The climate is moist enough for cotton manufac ture and favorable for continuous labor through out the year; the raw materials need but short transportation; the laboring class is numerous and contented ; fuel is brought cheaply by water; and the exporting facilities are excellent. It is estimated that in the last twenty-five years the value of the products of factories in the city has increased six fold. The chief industries are rice cleaning and sugar refining, and the manufactur ing of boots and shoes, furniture. men's clothing, cotton goods, tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, cot tonseed oil, and planing-mill products. The last census (1900) gives the number of wage-earners in all industries as 19.435; the total wages paid as $7.645,167; and the value of the total output as $63,514,505. The value of all products in 1890 was only 848,234,924. There are in the city 1624 manufacturing enterprises, devoted to 150 different industries, with a total capital of $52,000,000. The United States Government re eently constructed at New Orleans one of the largest floating dry docks in the world. This has shown its ability to lift and sustain the largest ship in the American Navy. New Orleans is the second export city in the Union, being excelled only by New Yo•k. Six great railroad
lines, with a total mileage of 26,881, have their terminus here. These are the Southern Pacific, Illinois Central, Louisville and Nashville, Texas and Pacific, Southern, and the Queen and Cres cent. The last two enter New Orleans over the tracks of another line. There are six great grain elevators along the docks. The docks. which are for the most part uncovered, extend for six miles along the left bank. As the gateway of the Mississippi Valley the city is well situated for foreign commerce. The jetties at the mouth of the river give a channel of about thirty feet, and the depth of the river in front of the city is ample for the largest vessels. Direct lines of steam ships connect with New York. the \Vest Indies, Central America, and Europe, and there is even a direct line via the Suez Canal to Japanese ports, carrying raw cotton for manufacture. At present there are thirty steamship lines connecting New Orleans yith the principal ports of the world. As soon as the Isthmian Canal is built a great impetus will be given to the commerce of the city. The foreign trade consists very largely of exports. the annual value of which is about $150.000,000. The imports. however, are increas ing. being over $23,000,000 for the ten months ending April, 1903.