Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-12
BIRMINGHAM AND CORPORATIONS.

BIRMINGHAM AND CORPORATIONS.
 In considering the interests of BirTning- ham the press of the city has frequently been necessarily brought to refer to mat ters and questions in such way as led those more nearly concerned in them to believe they were inspired by feelings of antagonism or personal ennity, when in reality such sentiments were farthest from the mind of the writer This has notably been the case in dealing witb the Birmingham Rolling mill and it's dis criminatious against Birmingham manu- facturers, together with similar mat ters relating to furnaces and commits saxies. It was found that the advantages of location which gave the source and or igin of Birmingham had been neutralzed through these agencies and the growth of the city retarded by them An inde- pendent and just newspaper could not honestly do otherwise than seek to have that cause removed in order that the pre- dictions and reasonable' expectations of the founders of this city might be fulfilled and realized. Further than this, it was due to those who had made investments running up into tens of mill lions of dollars in this city that the in- ducements for such investments be not altogether ignored while considering oth CT interests on which the prosperity of the district at large was admittedly based.
 The founders of Birmingham proclaim ed that iron could be made here cheaper than elsewhere in the world. and this one fact alone made the building of this city possible The claim was demon- strated to be true, yet there was a halt in the growth of the city.-ands investors in city property sought to know the reasons for it. -----=-----=------
 Investigating committees. composed of the most impartial and responsible bus mess men of the city, acting under in structions from the Commercial club. found that smaller industries located here could not get the advantages of location from the action of the rolling mill and furnaces, while the retail trade of the city proper was shut out from a reasonable competition for the trade of the mining classes on account of the oommissary sys- tenn of the corporations of the district. No one doubts but that the industries of the city would multiply a hundred fold if the finished products of our cheap iron could enter those markets where the raw product HOW ilIlueS It's T6dultSl odle, "iiAic the retail trade of the city would corre- spondingly improve if miners were paid in cash and allowed to trade where they could do the best with their money.
 A statement of these facts should not awaken antagonism on either side, since the prosperity of the city unquestionably depends upon the prosperity of the cor porations around it. while the very exist ence of the corporations in the past has been upon the prompt action of the city in times of peril and these mutual rela- tlons should be considered at all times and by both parties in the discussions which these matters must naturally evoke
 The growth of Birmingham must be se- cured Her interests are now too large and her investments too great to allow or any retrogading. but it must not be sought for other than in a natural and le- gitimate way. When this spirit prevails there will be growth rapid and permanent and such as Birmingham has never known before, and to this end every loyal citizen should bend his best energies.