The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-12
tions here also most agreeable and sa isfactory to these customers.
Enormous Food Crops


 isfactory to these customers.
 Enormous Food Crops
 "Our food crops for the season are by the government reported to be bet ter by many million of bushels than the average of the past five years. The increase in corn is per cent, oats per cent, potatoes per cent, hay D per cent and wheat 80 per cent. Food at home and surplus for sale at high prices to warning Europei
 "These are general conditions. How is Birmingham to profit by these op- portunities?
 .'Her coal is bound to feel, directly or indirectly, the demand to supply the war fleets and those commercial plants heretofore supplied by Europe. Her steel and iron will no longer nave the competition either at home or Tn foreign markets hitherto furnished by Germany and England. This eventual ly means full outputs at higher prices which in turn spells prosperity to all local bushes of this district.
 ..But Birmingham must have wider markets for diversified manufacturers. Is not this the time to collectively and wig orously systematically and continuously hush for our Cuban, Central and South American trade? Why cannot this city. the railroad and manufacturing center of the central south. at the headquarters of the Warrior river right now approach our Alabama port of Mobile and asking the cooperation of our capital city Mont gomery, undertake to establish and man. tain a bureau to gather trade, lnlorma- ton and develop business with the coun- tries south of us? This trade is being studied solicited, spasmodically and 1n- termittently by individuals. We need col lectiye work and expert information to definitely know the requirements and then co-operatively to fill them Why should not the good work being done by the
 Birmingham Ad club in bringing to the
 attention of home people Birmingham
 products, be enlarged to great advan- taee by bringing these, together with all Alabama products to the attention of possible customers to the south of us. while at the same time bringing to the
 attention of our people possibilities in manufacturing those things for which there is a market and which are now not produced here?
 sThese are the bright spots and now for the hole in the dyke which threat ems a serious check to the prosperity of this whole southern section.
 The Cotton Situation
 ..No matter whether the present war Is short or long, there is a cerainty that without the well planned and sub stantial aid of the banks in conjunction with the federal government. the loss on the cotton crops now being gathered will run into hundreds of millions of dollars. Today there is no market for cotton and no one can approximate with ir, a cent a pound its value. From the time of the first intimation of war until all speculative markets closed one week later and now 10 days since. tho quoted value showed a loss on the crop of more than $150,000.0OO
 "Our situation is this: The crop now heinz gathered promises to be 14.000.0 900 to 100000 bales. Of this amount the Canadian and American mills will use their capacity of 5.000.00O bales at what ever price they have to pay. Their for eign competitors being largely eliminated or handicapped they can sell their total produce at figures that will show good profit on any reasonable prices they pay for their raw material. This means pros- perity for American cotton mills, and our cotton exports would ordinarily take the balance of 100000 to 100000 bales. of which England uses about half and continental Europe % per cent. English mills like American will likely use all they can but will be handicapped by la bor. lack of ships to import them and difficulty in exporting there products to eastern markets. Manufacturing on the continent will be extremely limited It Is evident. therefore. that of the 15.OO000O bales produced 5.000.00O must be carried for an indefinite period by the producer or merchants and the balance marketed slowly as it can be absorbed by the Amer ican mills or find vessels to carry it ex- port. Otherwise the burden of oversup- ply on the market will make prices nom inal and spell ruin to the farming and merchandising communities of the south.