The age-herald., 1899-07-04
Visited Boards of Trade in
 Other Cities.
SECURED VALUABLE HINTS
New York is Afraid of Losing Southern Trade-Lively Discussion Over the Exchange Tax Has Been
 Precipitated.

1. McGoWan, second Nlee-preSluenl ol ehe Birmingham board of trade, returned Sun day from Cincinnati, where they spent the greater part of the week as guests of the board of trade of that city.
 From Cincinnati they went to Louisville and exchanged views with some of the mer- chants and manufacturers of that city. They were much pleased with their trip and agree that in many ways it was profitable. On tomorrow night MT. Sinnige and MT. McGowan will address the board of trade and tell the members many things that will be of interest.
 Immediately after these two gentlemen had left for Cincinnati the Birmingham cor respondent of the New York Commercial sent a dispatch to that paper in which it was intimated that the object of the trip was to work up a larger Birmingham trade with the west at the expense of New York. The article, which was printed in the Com mercia also stated that the Birmingham merchants were sore over the exchange charged by the New York clearing house banks on Birmingham checks. The article evidently created considerable comment in New York, as the Commercial of Saturday had half column of interviews with prom inent members of the Merchants assoeia- tion touching the tendency of Birmingham to withdraw it's patronage from New York and give it to Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and Chicago, and the protest of the Birmingham board. of trade against the charge on out-of-town cheeks.
 While it is true that the Birmingham merchants, like merchants in other cities, south and west, do not as a rule add ex- change to their checks sent to New York firms, the New York houses paying the exchange and charging it to expense ac- count Still many of them are being "hauled over the coals" because they do not comply with the clearing house rules.
 The New York Discussion
 Following is a clipping from the New York Commercial containing some of the interviews referred to:
 Much discussion was aroused yesterday by the press dispatch from Birmingham, Ala. announcing that committee from the Board of Trade of that city is visiting the principal cities in the west, with a view to transferring considerable business which is now sent east to these markets The dispatch said that thee merchants ob- ject to paying the check tax now demand ed by New York banks, and would there fore steer clear of this market. MT. Nieh- os of Austin, Nichols X Co.,, wholesale grocers, said:
 "I do not believe that southern merchants have any grievance at all, but II they have, you may rest assured that II IS not on account of the check collection charge now made here They could not object to it so seriously, for the good reason that they do not pay it. New York wholesalers bear the burden, and so far as this house is concerned, it has no fault to find with the present system
 Southern merchants do not one time in ten settle their bills here with New Yor.A funds. They send their own checks, which their New York wholesaler deposits, pay ing the cost of collection There Is no doubt that a general report to the effect that out-of-town merchants are required to pay the charge is calculated to do harm and all the local newspapers should hasten to correct the error'
 J. c. Juhring, of Francis H. Leggett x Co.,, said:
 "I have no doubt that some of the smaller buyers have been preiudieed against New York because they are not fully informed. No local wholesaler that I know requires his customers to pay ex- change on their checks. That is a matter we attend to ourselves, and if there is loss we bear it. The Commercial cannot be commended too strongly for undertaking the work of setting out-of-town buyers right in this natter
 William F. King, of Calhoun, Robbins & Co.,, president of the Merchants associa- ton, said:
 "I have no doubt the Birmingham mer- chants understand their own business, and are keenly alive to self-interest in visiting western cities, but to say they are being driven from New York by the check collec- tion charge now being made by the banks is absurd. They do not pay it, and there fore, have no commercial interest in 1t whatever Commerce and trade are gov erned by natural laws The great middle west produces certain commodities and naturally business men from the south go there after them. This is a big country and each section has it's special line Fur niture, canned meats grain, etc.. are pro- duced in the west and northwest. and .he natural tendency of the times to bring consumer and producer close together sends customers to that section.
 But New York has no fear. This is the greatest commercial city in the country--n
 the world-and it will remain the financial center for all time to come. There is no doubt of it. Furthermore, dealers must come here for certain things whether they wish to or not The disposition of the south to look around is one of the most favorable signs of the times. It proves that that section of marvellous resources is waking up and that it will take tre- mendous stride during the next ten years. Its improvement and development will help the whole country, but no other city will reap as great benefits as New York. No, there is nothing to be frightened about | The south is all right. so is the north.'' MT. Merrill, of Acker, Merrill & Conduit, said:
 "The charge on checks is all right, and I there is no danger of its driving trade away 1 from New York. This is the financial and l business center, and will continue to be. | The dispatch you show me reminds me of | the report I saw when the present system l was first adopted. Then it was Philadel- phia which was to take our trade; now 1t 1 is the middle west. It is all talk, and | amounts to absolutely nothing.'' Reply from Merchants Association 1 Secretary William Ryan, of the Birming- i ham board of trade, received a letter from the New York Merchants association yes- terday afternoon in ans to the resolu- tion sent that body some time ago prot = ing against the exchange rule. The ' ,,er was quite lengthy and in a very friendly tone Here Is an extract from it: "The association will be glad to see the