Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-17


 in extending large manufacturing estab- lishments, and has at her doors four hum dred million Chinamen eager to advance and work for "a few pennies a day.
 Russia is opening vast fertile fields which heretofore were ccn:fdered barren, by building the greatest railr6ad of the world. Through this ard similar methods she is utilizing her own wsalth and peo- pie, by creating new fields for labor; aug menting her wealth ard power she is also subjugating new territory and people. The surplus wealth and people of Europe have turned from the United States to re-enact in their own countries the, con- dTions which prevailed with us from 1492 to 1876. 6.TsA SC new countries have 100 000- O0O people, semi-civilized. and anxious to exchange their labor their live stock. their agriculture for the manufactured wa1ies of Europe
 Thus it is. that while agriculture, the basis of wealth, is the primitive condi- tion of a natfonL manufacture is its most advanced and enlightened condition.
 What is our condition in the south? For sixty years, by reason of manu- facture in the northern states they there have centralized the wealth and power of this nation, to whom we, as an agri- cultural section, have paid constant tri- bute. Since the war, the south has re- cefyed an average income from our raw materials of cotton, iron and wood, as well as our other products, of over ten IIlliIlOH QOlldFS every year, ana in the past thirty years from this money received we have sent the north over ten billion. of money, to buy articles and pro- ducts that could have been produced cheaper in the south.
 Several years ago, the late Wendell Phillips asserted that New England had neither soil or climate, and that her man. ufactories must go to the south, where coal, iron timber and raw cotton existed in large quantities, and because the eli- mate south gave more hours of daylight and living was cheaper
 The far-seeing eye of the late lamented James G. Blaine saw these forthcoming changes in European nations. He real ized that unless we threw aside our swaddling infancy clothes, by extending our trade beyond our own local demands, that we could not keep apace in the pro- gressive chess board moves in the great game being played for wealth and power. For these reasons he called the Amen- cans together in a great congress to dis cuss the principles of an America n. Zolve- rein with reciprocal trade. 94s. sateasi=
 At the Worlds Fair in 1893 the com n1issioners from the nations south of us asserted that they bought 75 per cent of all manufactured wares from Europe, and an estimate was there made that if the United States had this trade, 1t would put every idle factory and every idle man in the United States at work. -@sa
 Birmingham is at present the center of the most important southern manu- featuring district. By augmenting diver sified factories, gaining more wealth and Influence, she can take the initiative in conserving the demands of Mexico, the West Indies, Central and South America. At this point we are 800 or more miles nearer those points than are the manu- featuring districts north, and commerce, sooner or later demands the shortest distance between two points. The 150,- 900 900 people in those countries south of us are beginning to build towns out of villages cities out of towns. and extend railroads into rural districts; they de- mand everything made out of iron, steel, wood, clay, cotton, tobacco. leather and Manufactured farm products.
 All over our country trade is chang ing from east and west to north and south lines. From Denver to St. Paul the w st is building to the Guf-to Aikan- sas Pass, Galveston and Port Arthur to get the shortest distance to deep sea with their beef and wheat; and the trade in export is vastly increasing at New Or leans, Mobile and Pensacola.
 Not only in the nations south of us, but all through our own southland, is the demand daily increasing for blows, agricultural implements, sewing ma chimes, pianos, and everything that is made. .
 The demands for the thousands of ar- ticles made from iron and steel aIe now mainly supplied by northern factories for every southern community; i7 is trus'that Biriningham's laudable ambition to be the Pittsburg of the south Is commenda- ble and the harmonious adjustment of climate and all around us coal, lime, and high grades of iron, with assured basic sts,el manufacture. will, sooner or later. compel the utilization of hundre dS of tons of pig iron daily, as well as manufacture of those articles made from basic steel.
 But if we had specie object in a jour- +tD (Nfa1 n T shtttUur eyes to the incidents and oppor- tunities attending said journey, Hence, Birmingham may profit by the location within it's incorporate area of each pos sfbIe 5000 plant, employing few White skilled laborens who will be permanent ostizens, building their own homes in the suburbs and daily patrons of our business houses.
 No coal is found in warm latftudes, and thirty miles south of Birmingham is the southern limit of msrchantable coal ex- isting in North America. The hgnite veins of Texas and north Mexico being only of local domestic use. Ffhe revenue to England supplying the eoaling sta ions of ;th,s gulf and CarTibean sea, and the ccif1fnercial demands of Mexico, Central and South America now afford England an annual revenue exceeding o.0r0 900. If thesewners of the coal lands within twen- Ty fsufilss of Birmingham would supply this demand f. would disiburse GOO aUnudHly TOT dUUT, as Wtii dS -tISntilIlS great profit to the owners of the coal lands. If water connection via the War rior river is secured, this new Industry will undoubtedly be inaugurated.
 England pays out every year over four hundred million dollars to 2.000.0 em- ployes, manufacturing the raw cotton grown in the southern states. -
 In our New Engla nd s.ates $50 100000 Is annually paid to 350.00o operatives man. ufacturing the raw cotton grown in the southern states. If all of this was man. ufautured in the south, as 1t should be- and as it will belt would demand a hundred cities now unborn. and the dis burs anerit of vast snms of money. III ade each week. ITO many 'thousa nd more of southern farms it would create 3 de- niand for .ttgcir milk, s,ssHter, cheese. fruit, vegetables hay and meat not once a ture of lumber in this state pays out