The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-24
LETTERS TO EDITOR
For Birmingham's Advantage


To the Editor of The Age-Herald :
While in Washington the other dav T
made some inquiries as to the meaning
of Oscar Underwood, who had said thar
he believed the tariff as at present framed
would do more of good than harm to the
Birmingham district, but | found no one
who could enlighten me, and so | have
placed my own construction on it.
l think Mr.. Underwood foresaw and
meant that this tariff would force a rec
ognition of Birminghams location. and
thereby do for it what its friends have
sought to bring about without avail for
the past 20 years or more
There may be some here who will nor
fully understand this statement, but there
are those of the Old Guard" of the early
days who will recall the efforts of the
Commercial club to have Birmingham
placed on its own advantages as to its
cost of production. hence the benefit of
its location We found at that time in
trying to bring industries here that were
consumers of pig iron that the price here
protected Pittsburg, and there Was i'll
reality no benefit as to location, and
was not surprised the other day when l
saw some manufacturer claiming that he
could do as well in Memphis as in this
city.
l think Mr.. Underwood meant that the
tariff would bring Birmingham into hel
own by ptacing it on its own basis instead
of PittsburG, as heretofore has largely
been the case.
Let me illustrate this: When | went
from Birmingham to Johnstown, Pa, IN
1894 to become industrial agent of that
city, | went to a tariff convention at De-
troit as delegate from JohnstoWn l.
desired to learn, so listened to all the
discussions without participating in any
until the convention was about TO place
itself on record as favoring the fixing of
tariff that would protect the American
workman from the pauper labor of E,u
rope, giving as the foundation the differ
ence in cost of production in other eoun-
tries and in this. When the vote was
about to be taken on that proposition, and
seeming with united body for it, | asked
the question how that could he made to
apply to pig iron at Birmingham, when
recent shipment had been made from
that city to Liverpool, and sold there at
Il price said to have been about the cost
of production in that city
You can imagine the result Lut [ had
aided as secretary OF the Commercial
club here in securing freight from Mobile
Tor small consignment OF pig IRON on
| cotton laden vessel from that port, and
| it was not claimed any money was lost
| on the transaction.
| But Pittsburg has heretofore been the
| basis point, and now if Mr.. Underwood s
| tariff will force a change and give Bir
mingham the benefit of her location, Il
will be the greatest boon ever conferred
| on this city, and he will be regarded no
| less henefactor for his home district
| than for the country at large, through
| the saving to the people from lower tariff
| rates.
! The opening of the wire mill at Fair
| field is only the first "straw" that points
| the wind of added industries to Brming-
| ham. for with this change in basing. the
! Chamber of Commerce will have no fur
| ther trouble about bringing industries to
| this city, for they will then come Of their
own accord, as this city will be al center
for finished products as it is now for the
raw material. and we can echo the old
slogan, Great is Birmingham" and feel
its true significance.
N F. THOMPSON.
Birmingham, May %, 1918.