The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-20
Tennessee Company'S Attitude Toward the UpbuiIding of
 L9caI Industries
GREATEST INDUSTRIAL
 ASSET IN STATE TODAY
Birmingham District Now In Position to Build Up Rapidly With Ad- vantages Given In Prices
 of Steel.
BY WILLIAM RYAN.

Local manufacturers who use steel rolled at the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad companys rolling mill at Bes- semer are now paying much less for the products of that mill than was the case up to a few months ago. The prices are lower throughout the territory to which we have lower freight rates than steel will be delivered to these southern points from northern plants. In response to an inquiry few days ago President George G. Crawford of the Tennessee company said:
 "The products of our Bessemer rolling mill are being sold f. O. b. cars at Bes- semer for about $4 per ton for steel bars and $3 per ton for steel plates less than steel can be delivered at that point from Pittsburg. The difference of $1 a ton is due to the fact that the railroads haul plates from Pittsburg to this ter ritory for $1 a ton less on plates than on bars"
 This gives the Birmingham district ad- vantages of it's geographical position and furnishes steel to territory naturally tribu- tary to 1t at a price lower than mills with higher freight charges will deliver 1t. Thus it is seen that steel is now being sold here at price which should enable the local industries to build up; and if sufficient business offers it is un- reasonable to suppore that the Tennes- see company will not expand to meet the growing demand. Now as there has been so much transformation and so much "knocking," even in high quarters, be- cause of a lack of information on the part of the knockers, it would be well for the public to keep the above facts in mind.
 eleemosynary institution Under no ad- ministration has it so regarded itself; for long years it was Wall street foot ball. It was one of the stock jobbing favorites and daring speculators were al- ways trading in it's shares. But when the United States Steel corporation acquired the company during the panic of 1907 It changed hands for the last time and was then taken out of the speculative class and placed on a permanent investment basis And while it is intended to be no more of gift enterprise now than 1t was in former years the policy of those in control of the properties Is not devoid of local sentiment but is on the other hand informed by a reasonable degree of pub lie spirit and Is so far as l can make out liberal and sane. But above all the Tennessee company is the foremost indus trial concern in the south and is the Bir- mingham districts biggest asset.
 Our newspapers in setting forth Bir- minghams great resources have told among other things that the Tennessee company would spend in improvements millions and millions of dollars within the next four or five years, but l do not recall the publication of official fig ures showing what the company has ac- tually expended in development since 1906 when the Schley-Gates syndicate took &C., tive control. But happen to know that under that administration about $6,000 900 was spent on improvements and that un- der the present administration dating from the time of the panic about $6.000,- 900 has been paid out for new eonstruc- tion, making a total of about 900 expended for the betterment of these properties in the last three years. And spending here a vast sum In a time of financial depression was surely helping the district "some"-helping by putting money in circulation when such help was sorely needed. <The Tennessee company Is a valuable asset of the United States Steel corporation for the corporation has the talent and the capital to make this company profitable. Its purpose Is to develop the properties on scale commensurate with demand for it's pro- ducts in this territory.
 MT. Crawford says that satisfactory progress has been made in placing the company's plants in proper condition to improve costs and adds: Rail manufac- ture at Ensely is past the experimental stage. Rails are made to any specification and with the same uniformity and excel lence as in any other rail mll.''
 Well informed, practical men are satis- fled that the best thing that ever hap pened for the Birmingham district was the purchase of the Tennessee company by the Steel corporation. But every now and then one meets some worthy but poorly advised citizen who makes all manner of disparaging remarks. The croakers get their cue from talks some times heard in business circles, which Is unfortunate. The Tennessee company is all right. Birmingham has no greater optimtists than MT. Crawford and his as- sociates in the management of the Ten nessee company. MT. Crawford has no shadow of doubt as to the future of the steel plant and the splendid future of the Birmingham district. I do not know whether or not he feels hurt at some of the statements made in meetings of public bodies I do not know whether he has feeling of resentment when he hears that some of the Birmingham peo- pie are 'knocking" the districts grea. mainstay and the greatest developed sin gle asset found in Alabama, but he is human and 1t would be strange indeed if he did not think a cuss word or two now and then.
 Marriage Licenses Issued.