The age-herald., 1902-02-06

EW ham mineral region of Ala bama, with the mineral district of Ten nessee, contains the iron and coal re- serves, is the mineral reservoir, so to speak, of America, and must be the center of future American mineral and general material development" de- clared Senator Mark A. Hanna, in the course of a protracted interview which he granted The Age-Herald through me today.
 Regardless of the building of Bir- mingham and the comparative inn mense material development in that dis trict during recent years, there has been a mere scratching of the surface. We have just begun to realize what the na- tion has got in the vast and unequalled mineral riches of the Birmingham region and the immense natural riches of the south at large. From your iron and coal mines, your furnaces and your steel plants, turn to the unprecedented growth in southern cotton mills and other in dustries! All of it is pleasing from na- tional viewpoint, all is of great national import.
 Now I want to say to you for the Age Herald, in the columns of which 1 have heretofore had the pleasure of speaking on public questions, and through the Age-Herald to the southern people that I am not only desirous but eager to do whatever Is in my power for the advance ment and upbuilding of the south. I would. have you give sincere assurance of this desire and purpose on my part.
 Ship Subsidy Bill.
 ''As to the pending ship-subsidy bill am convinced that it's enactment will re- suit in greater good to the south than to any other part of our country.
 Ut will result in making Alabama the source of coal supplies for the West h. dies and Central and South America, the Mediterranean and other ports of conti- mental Europe.
 Tt will mean the establishment and profitable maintenance of great steamship lines from Mobile and Pensacola to va rious parts of the world.
 President Smith of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company assured me when I last saw him that upon the pas sage of the bill his great company would begin at once to provide for regular line of powerful ships to trade out of Pensa- cola, and that he would put on such ships as rapidly as possible, perhaps one new ship a year for several years.
 Such lines of modern steamships from Pensacola and Mobile-and they are certain to be established-will, as anybody may discern, result in an en- ormous impetus to the coal iron, steel cotton and other industries of Alabama and the South. 1t would be the real be- ginning of that splendid Southern de- velopment of which the Birmingham dis trict is such great promise and which we all so clearly foresee.'
 At this point Senator Hanna was asked the direct question, what would a ten thousand ton twelve-knot ship sailing out of Savannah or Mobile, for example earn In subsidy on a voyage to Liverpool and return. His reply was that ship of that low speed-and such a ship would scarce ly be built to steam so slow-would come under the general subsidy provisions of the bill, that Is, it would earn and be paid one cent for each gross registered ton for each one hundred nautical miles sailed GA nautical mile is one mile and one-fifteenth geographical mile.) Hence assuming for sake of argument that Mo bile is four thousand nautical miles from Liverpool, a ten thousand ton ship steam ing twelve-knots an hour would receive from the government for the round voy- age eight thousand dollars, provided that not more than sixteen such voyages were made in any one fiscal year. Thus if such ship from Mobile should make, say, ten voyages in a year, it would receive eighty thousand dollars in subsidy from the governm ent.
 But if this ship should sail fourteen knots an hour it would receive two dol lars and sixty-one cents for each statute mile outward sailed, or roughly, ten thousand dollars from Mobile to Liver pool. If it sailed twenty-knots it would receive four dollars and seventy cents for each statute mile outward sailed, it would receive about eighteen thousand dollars.
 The earnings of any other vessel, sail or steam, may be estimated upon the basis of this example, except that one fourth of one cent is added to each gross ton for each one hundred nautical miles sailed by any American-bult vessel of over one thousand tons completed and registered after the passage of this act.
 For Fast Ships.
 Senator, the Age-Herald desires es- pecially a statement from you as to the reasons for discriminating in favor of fast ships as against slow ones,'' was said.
 We must have above all things fast ships to carry our mails to give us an equal showing with other countries for ocean commerce and trade, and to strengthen our naval reserve, for every fast ship earning the higher rates of he be able to carry a specified number of certain class of guns, and be subject constantly to be called into the naval service of the country" Senator Hanna responded.
 .In these direct contentious and par