The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-13

represent in the Fifth district of Alabama
are very much interested in this mat
ter. They feel that their claim upon the
government Is a just one.
Hon. w. r. Merriam. director OF the
census in an able article in the Manu-
facturers Record of February says:
One of the Southern States that has
done much toward utilizing her advan-
tages as a manufacturing state Is Ala
bama. The summary below shows that
the capital invested In that State has in
creased during the past fifty years from
So, 0O0, 600, In round numbers, to over $780,
100000. The Increase In the number of
establishments from 1890 to 1900 was IS
per cent and the increase of capital in.
vested was about So per cent.
The population increased during these
years from III, 623 to 1928, 697 1877 per
cent, while the average number of wage
earners employed in manufacturing es-
Establishments increased from 1886 to g.
902, or 971.S per cent. This growth of the
wage-earning class has been very marked
in the last two decades, and particularly
in the decade 1880 to 1890, when the in
crease was 210.S per cent, as compared
with an increase of 1913 per cent in total
population. In 1900 the average number
of wage-earners in manufactures con-
stituted 2.9 per cent of the total popu-
lation, as com pared with eighth-tenths of
l per cent in 1880. But probably the best
indication of the Importance of the
wage-earning class is afforded by the
greatest number employed at one time
during the year. In 1900 this was 7G931,
or AZ per cent of the total population
of the state.
The rapid growth of the manufacturing
industries Of Alabama during the last
twenty-five years is due to the utilization
of the states rich mineral resourceA
which were neglected in the earlier years
OF the century. This development of the
iron industry and of coal mining has
stimulated a variety of manufactures
which are centered In the Birmingham
district in the northern part of the
state, where the mineral deposits exist.
The abundance of coal has made unnec-
essary any extensive use of the water
power of the state on the Coosa Ten
nessee, and Tallapoosa rivers, although
on the Tallapoosa, near Montgomery
one of the largest water plants in the
South has recently been constructed It
Is noteworthy that the great develop
ment or manufactures in the northern
part of the state has taken place large
ly without the advantage of navigable
water for the cheap shipm ent of pro-
ducts. 1t is estimated that water COM
munication with Mobile would reduce
freight charges on iron and coal 50 per
cent.
Why; sir, 1t is a conceded fact that
the region through which the Coosa river
flows is one of the richest in the world
Col. A. K. Mcclure, the gifted editor of
the Philadelphia Times, has repeatedly
declared Alabama to be one of the rich
est states. naturally. in the world IL
not the richest; and | believe that gen.
tleman's estimate is practically correct
There is no place, Mr.. Chairman, on the
race OF this broad earth where iron and
coal can be found in such close proximity
10 each other as In the Birmingham dis
trict of Alabama; and Birmingham Ala,
fixes the price of iron for the whole
world today. And yet this stream. flow
ing through the rich undeveloped min
eral fields of this section, with coal and
IRON In great abundance, and leading out
directly to the gulf, has no merits in
the eyes of the majority of the com nit
tee. On this stream millions and millions
of tons would be transported If the gov
eminent would lend a helping hand and
remove u miles of obstruction, thereby
giving us a navgable water route SIS
miles long. as is shown by the reports
of the government engineers in charge
of this work for the past twenty-five
years, which contradict the committee
report recently made. l read from the
report OF the War Department made in
1901, less than two years ago:
The Coosa river has always been nav
igable for light-draft boats from Rome.
Ga, to Greensport, Ala, an estimated
distance of 1872 miles. This part of the
river Is of such character as to make
its improvement by work of contraction
and channel excavation entirely practic-
able.
From Greensport Ala. to Wetumpka,
Ala. distance of l42 miles, the improve
ment requires the building of locks and
dams in conjunction with works of con-
traction and channel excavation.
With the Coosa opened to navigation.
there would be continuous water route
of transportation from Carriers Landing.
on the Coosawattee, to Mobile Ala, a
distance estimated at S15 miles
This water route includes the Coosa-
wattee, Oostenaula, Coosa Alabama. and
Mobile rivers, emptying directly into the
gulf through Mobile Bay and constitute
ing the third longest water route in the
United States.
The Alabama river is now navigable
Mr.. Chairman, and is being used to trans
port the products of our section from
Mobile to Montgomery, and of this SIS
miles of accessible water there remains
only Y miles of obstruction. 1t has been
estlHidteu ny. tne engineers for the last
twenty-five years that $4,000, 900 would re-
move all of these distractions and give
US water route SIS miles long; and
yet an engineer who has been there but
eighteen months or two years, and who
has made no survey, brings in a report
TO this committee purporting to show
that 1t would require $4,000, 900 to do this
work. | would like to ask. the chairman
of this committee if Mr.. Judson, who
made this report has ever made a sur
vey of this work? l would like to know
upon what basis he makes this report?
Mr.. Chairman, I am constrained to be-
lieve that there is Niger in the wood
pile, and that some undue influence has
been brought to bear in order, If pos
sible to blot the Coosa river off the map.
But, sir 1t will never be done The rivers
and harbors conn ittee of this House may
throttle that great enterprise, but the
time will come when Congress will rec
ognize it's merits. I call attention to a
report made by the chief of engineers of
the United States army in 1882, volume 2,
page 1856:
In 1875 an appropriation was made for
improving the Coosa river between Rome
and the Selma, Rome and Dalton bridge
and from this time work of improvement
has been going on. The Coosa though
crooked, is very favorable for improve
ment The bed and banks are generally
of permanent nature. and the m can depths
of the water Is great when compared
with the width.
In another report, made by the en-
gineers in 1890. they make the following
statement: Ft
The river DIN iIx y,,,,oI, ,b.4...