The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-27
MCCORMACK OPPOSES
IMPROVING RIVERS
Says PittSburg District Gets
All the Benefit
CITES RATES BY WATER
Colonel Bush, on the other Hand,
Advocates River Improvement
Because 1t Is Not a Local
Issue Anywhere.
CITES RATES BY WATER

The Commercial club was entertained
yesterday afternoon by a discussion of
one of the / st vital questions connected
with the district by G. B. Mccormack and
Col. 4. G. Bush, who in an informal
way debated upon the ACCESSIBILITY of the
$780, 600 bond issue proposed by the gov
eminent for the development of the
waterways of the country.
Mr.. Mccormack said that he had re-
Gently gotten hold of a book which al
most convinced him that the bond issue
was contrary to the interests of the Bir-
mingham district, and that right now the
people of Alabama are paying their share
of the taxes which go to developing and
maintaining the Mississippi and other
rivers which allows the coal trust of Pitts
burg to invade Alabama's territory and
usurp the coal market of New Orleans,
amounting to 100000 tons year.
He said that the cost, including every
thing, to haul ton of coal from Pitts
burg to New Orleans is $2.75; that the
coal trust pays only SO cents and the peo
pie of the country foot the bill for the
remainder. He said that the government
as it could make the Warrior river navi-
gable. and could make the rate just as
cheap as it ever would be by water.
He was not in favor of waterways ex-
penditures, claiming that this district will
never get any benefits from it. I'VE are
simply sitting here and letting other peo-
pie cut our throats,' he said. when you
figure 1t out you will see how much
money the people of Alabama are fur
nishing through taxes toward paying the
freight on the coal which Pittsburg ships
in competition with u.s.
Colonel Bush, when called on to make
few remarks, said that Mr.. Mccormack
was right from local viewpoint, but
you can no more stop the flow of water
in the rivers than you can stop the water
ways appropriation. River development is
one of the original principles of our gov
eminent, and as it is impossible for pri-
vate corporations to develop the rivers, it
is a work which falls on the government.
In many cases the harbors are no good
without good rivers well improved. The
danger is in the appropriations being di
verified unevenly." He told of Gordon
Crawfords position on the matter and
his argument in favor of all river ex-
penditures.
Among the reasons cited in his argument
were that the railroads cannot take care
of their transportation, that the rivers are
railroad rate regulators, that as yet this
country has spent nothing in comparison
to France and other European countries,
where the water facilities make transport
tation much more convenient and far
cheaper.
Colonel Bush was of the opinion that
Birmingham will get her coal to New
Orleans in competition with Pittsburg
coal at low price. He said that before
long it would be loaded right out of the
mines into barges on the Warrior river
and go straight to New Orleans through
the small canals which are to be con-
structed. "As a national policy, the Com
mercial club cannot afford to change it's
long-continued stand
Jere c. King reported for the Greater
Birmingham committee that the bills
would be advertised and introduced in the
coming session of the Legislature, and
will no doubt be passed. He explained
that they take in Ensley and Pratt City
as well as Thomas.
The club decided to meet on Friday,
March 10, one week later than the reg
ular date.