The age-herald., 1900-05-17
 ! 0F THE SOUTH }. interest Manifested at
 Industrial Convention BIRMINGHAM AS IRON CENTER Auditor Taylor Shows This City to be Greatest Export Center in the
 United States and Third
 in the World
BIRMINGHAM AS IRON CENTER

Chattanooga, Tenn, May 16.-The morn ing was spent by the Southern Industrial convention in trip around the Belt rail- way as the guests of the Alabama Great Southern railway. The delegates visited sixty plants now in active operation, in- cluding textile, wood, iron and clay manu- factories The afternoon session was call ed to order at p. m. by President Kille- brew, who introduced Cyrus Gehr of Knox vile, who addressed the convention on the subject, ''The Poor White Boys of the South," and plea for technological schools.
 R. V. Taylor, general auditor of the Mo- bile and Ohio railroad of Mobile, read paper on "The Export Trade of the South.' In part he said:
 During the year 1893 the first line of steamers between Mobile and Liverpool was inangurated and regular service has since been maintained with this port and Bre- men, with occasional sailings to Hamburg, Antwerp, Rotterdam and several Mediter- ranean and Japan ports.
 These vessels have been profitably em- poyed in carrying cotton, cotton seed, pig iron, grain and other products of the west In 1893 the first shipment of Alabama iron ever made to Europe was forwarded via the port of Mobile from the city of Birming- ham, which has since grown to be the larg- est iron exporting center in the United States, and the third in the world.
 The shipments of pig iron during the next year to Liverpool through the port of Mobile was 26,0OO tons, and this business has since continued in increasing volume. Chuup ed Conditions
 Within one hour after the stars and stripes first foated to the breeze above Mo. 70 Castle and notice was thus given to tifc world that the authority of the United States had been extended over Cuba the first vessel to enter Havana under the changed conditions came. Since the event continuous service has been maintained not only between Mobile and Havana, but also between all of the principal ports of Cuba and, MT. Chairman, allow me to say here that the business men of no city of the south have taken greater advantage of tn means of communication thus afforded than the manufacturers and merchants of the enterprising city of Chattanooga"
 MT. Taylor then told of Mobile bay and the splendid harbor and achorage ground which the city boasted.
 He continued: 'rhe improvement of the river system reaching up through the rich coal and mineral fields of Alabama is al most completed, and it will not be long be- fore barges loaded at the mine can pass uninterruptedly to the mouth of Mobile bay where vessels of the greatest draft em- ployed in the Gulf of Mexico may take at ships side the cheapest coal ever brought to tidewater from any mine in the world"
 Summing up, MT. Taylor said it seemed to him that the great Gulf of Mexico in the near future will become the Mediterranean of the new world, teeming with a commerce greater than the old, and that Mobile, Hike the Venice of antiquity, will then occupy position of queenly pre-eminence upon the Gulf of MeXico.'
 ihoinLso ItesoIu. ion
 At the conclusion of the speech Secretary Thompson offered the following resolution; Whereas, the Philadelphia Commercial Museum is a public institution working dfsirterestedly for the commercial expan- sion of our country and has brought bene- fieiai results to the rapidly growing indus tries of the south; and,
 fANhereas: the said institution carries on this work over the entire world, bringing the foreign markets to our mills, factories and Farms and without personal benefit or gain of any description; be it therefore
 Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention that the Philadelphia Conner cial Museum is doing a work that appeals to every producer in the United tates and
 
 Resolved, that this convention earnest ly recommends the prompt passage of the house bill that subject as having a direct bearing on the advancement of the south, and that active support is urged from every southern senator and represen- tative in congress-.
 On motion of r. B. Thurber of New York the rules were suspended and after brief discussion the resolutions were adopted. . The Evening Session
 The evening session was called to order at S:3O p. m by resident Killebrew, who introduced Secretary of Agriculture Will son who spoke on '"The Agricultural In- terests of the South" Secretary Wilson was greeted by large audience and his address aroused much enthusiasm.
 At-th close of Secretary Wilson's ad- dress, after generous applause, the follow . sse ess ss sssssssssssss