The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-12
.GRASTY URGES MORE
 WORK FOR TARIFF
Baltimore Man Sees Great
 Things Ahead
DISTRICT HAS WIDE FIELD
Thinks Entrance of Steel Corporation Made Other Iron centers Bow To Birmingham As
 Coming Center.

Thomas P. Grasty, first vice president Blrmingham's oldest and staunchest friends, is spending a few days in Bir- mingham. MT. Grasty has perhaps writ ten as much and boosted Birmingham as much, and influenced more capital to come to Birmingham than any one indi- vidual outside of it's inhabitants When he says we there is no chance to doubt his right to include himself among the Birmingham people.
 "Birmingham's future depends entirely upon her constituent territory which stretches to the Rio Grande," he said
 'and it will not be long before every tool and every mineral article that is used in the whole. southwest will be man. ufactured and supplied by Birmingham
 "I wrote your city up in the sos when there was nothing but real estate offices in the whole valley. I have always lived and talked and worked for Birmingham and never a cent which has been invested here on my recommendation has ever been lost.
 "Birminghams big prostraton came in the sos with the discovery of the Lake Superior ore fields. Her prosperity is tied up in the construction and operation of the Ensley steel plant, and only year ago, when the United States Steel cor poration. in order to preserve the finan- clal equilibrium, bought the Tennessee company, Birmingham became established as one of the safest centers in the whole world. Nations everywhere bowed to her, | while the financial and commercial stand 1 ing of Birmingham was completely estab-
 ished.
 Had not that despicable strike and panic come up, a dozen big plants would have been located and operating here be- fore this.
 Birmingham has to fight against fool sh railroad legislation, against high freight rates, against the Pittsburg basing point, but this city will overcome them | all and get into her glory right away. "The near future will see big era of railroad construction in the south Br- mingham will get her cheap rates. The | United States Steel corporation has not yet been able to complete its plans, nor to
 test the earning capacity of It's property. When the company has worked out a
 broad plan of development this city will
 be favored with cheaper iron.
 But Birmingham has fight right now,
 which it should not be slow to push The
 reduction of the tariff simply means that l English iron will swallow all the trade
 in the east which Birmingham now en- | ioys America will never be able to pro- duce anything as cheap as England or inc continental countries, and when we | allow England to ship iron to this coun- try for 50 cents freight where 1t costs Birmingham several dollars freight to market her product we are simply com hitting suicide.
 Birmingham should agree to no com- promise, but in my opinion, should go A to fight for s5 tariff instead of s4. Any reduction will be detrimental but an increase would be absolutely helpful q studied this tariff question four months in Washington, going through every detail in 1893, and as a result came to the conclusion that no greater blow could be dealt the south than such a decrease.
 "The people of Birmingham should get busy and see that Congressman Under ] wood gets his committee on ways and means to invite three of Birmingham's s iron masters to testify before it. If they are hearing expert testimony, Alabama should have a chance. Of course New England is trying to get the tariff re- moved simply because she is selfish enough to want cheap iron no matter how zl.< <at..