The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-19

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON Sept, 51S.-Congress-
man Washington, of Tennessee; Con-
gressman Livingstone, of Georgia;
Congressman Wheeler of Alabama,
and a score of other prominent men
of the South, are here urging the sec
retary of the navy to give recognition
to the outh as an ore producing coun-
try, with facilities for producing armor
plate. Acting Secretary Roosevelt, in
compliance with demands and repre-
sentations made, has instructed the
armor plate board to visit Bfrming
ham, Ala, and include that place in
the report of their Investigations, the
said report to be submitted to con-
gress.
Congressman Gaines, this evening,
said: 'The people of the South propose
to have recognition. The Bethlehem,
Carnegie and Illinois plants have been
investigated often enough, and now
we want the facilitiesso the South to
receive at least passing recognition by
the navy department. Afterwards we
shall present our claims before con-
gress. 1t has been admitted before the
negie and Bethlehem companies con-
stitute an organized trust, and that
they divide their government orders for
work.
'One important point in our favor
is this, although the contrary has been
stated in northern newspapers, Birn-
ingham is the second largest coke pro-
ducing district in this country; Con-
nellsville being first. The Red Noun
TAIN, from which our ore is obtained,
and the Warrior coal fields, run
parallel nearly fifty miles on either
side of Birmingham. There is no place
in this or any other country where
such large deposits of coal and iron
are so close together. Fifty coal mines
and twenty six blast furnaces are to-
day in the valley between these de-
posits, sixteen of them are producing
upwards of 1000 tons of iron daily. Six
railroads enter Birmingham, and we
have water communication with the
coast. Birmingham is the only dis
trict in the world today where pig
iron is produced for less than Sc per
ton. 1t is the only district in the coun-
try which can deliver it's product at
tide water for 81 per ton freight
The South has advantages in pro-
duclng iron ana steel (which cannot be
easily overcome, if at all, because they
are natural. Tennessee and Alabama
lead in the Southerns iron industry,
with Alabama possibly first. Iron
plants are at work from a point east
of Chattanooga several hundred miles,
to some distance west of Nashville,
thence southwestwardly through North
Alabama, covering Sheffield and Birm-
ingham. This iron section is the most
representative and is well adapted for
armor plate factory requirements.
will give you some of the many rea-
sons for this position:
First-The best iron and steel are made
in the South at As per cent cheaper than in
the north.
Second-The Southern mills make and sell
iron and steel material to Carnegie Co:
and others, who. in turn, add their profit, and
then sell this Southern product to the gov
ernment.
Third-We are a dollar or more per ton
nearer ddewater than our Northern Compel
itors.
Forsh-The section isss central and less
accessible to the enemy than the Northern
competitors. N8
Fifth-Natural advantages are greater, far
reaching and lasting. Unlike Northern tac-
tories, the Southern mills are Immediately
surrounded by mountains of iron ore, coal
and crude or raw material Gnexnaustloie