The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-07
POWELL SAYS SMALL
 INDUSTRIES NEEDED Railroad Official Here for a
 Short Time TALKS ABOUT PIG IRON Says If District Could Be Freed From Depending on Pig Iron Dull ness Would Not Have Such
 Bad Effect
TALKS ABOUT PIG IRON

For the purpose of attending a meet ing today in Meridian, Thomas c. Powell, vice president of the Queen and Crescent route; Horace Baker, general manager of that line; w. S. Andrews, general su- perintendent of transportation of the Queen and Crescent. and other officers were here yesterday. They remained in Birmingham only short time and continued to their destination. A meet ridian today of importance to the lines of that city
 The party of Queen and Crescent of ficials occupied two private cars They will be in Birmingham again on the return trip tomorrow.
 Mir. Powell said traffic conditions on his line were very good and the railroad men had hopes that a marked improve ment even on the present satisfactory con- dition would be noted soon.
 'As is generally known there Is a dull ness in the movement of pig iron,n said MT. Powell. Upon that commodity the Birmingham district depends not little. If 1t could be so managed that this great district could be freed from this de- pendency upon pig iron as staple traffic commodity then a dullness in that line would never affect Birmingham seriously. The dependence of the district upon one market is what brings down the averages fo, of,,er xyba reactions assume definite shape in the Iron business. This is essentially correct, and dare say there are few iron men here who will argue to the contrary. The only remedy for this, as I see it, is for Birmingham to keep everlastingly after new industries of the diversified kind, so the raw materials may be turned into the finished product right here at home. When the consum- ing volume of pig iron is greater here. that will materially lessen the shortage in the market when a dull period comes in. Our line is at all times trying to secure for the cities smaller industries and we hope to be able to bring some to Bir- mingham this year.
 1T would be immensely pleased to see the Chamber of Commerce lead such a fight for smaller plants as would make the entire country sit up and take mo- tice.
 This is the logical time to start such fight, too. The mere mention of the name Birmingham at this time is sufficient to secure an audience and with the great things one can tell of this district 1t would be comparatively a simple mat ter to bring plants to this city. When the raw materials of this district are con- sumed right here at home and more in dustries arem ade here by such result then Birmingham will be some city,
 As to railroad activities he said:
 "The railroads are seemingly some what cautious about entering the mar ket, but our line has been buying some materials and our forces are compar- atiyely busy. We hope to get great many Improvements completed this year, the finishing of which will natur- ally keep us pretty busy
 Mir Powell and the other officers of the party were very much shocked over the recent death of their associate, Col. E. l.. Russell. In speaking of that saddening event, MT. Powell said;
 
 "At our meeting of officers of the Southern railway, held in Washington recently. we adopted resolutions tell ing of our regret over his death. He was a man among men and one of the very finest associates ever on the southern lines.
 .There can be no question of the fact that the south lost brave and useful citizen when he died It was all so sudden that we who knew him best hardly realize until this time how very much we have lost through his death."
 Mr. Powell and MT. Baker would not comment upon a possible successor to Colonel Russell. They said that was matter with the Soard of directors and while a great deal of speculation was being dealt in shey preferred not to give any expression upon the question of his successor