The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-11
WHY MONTGOMERY
/. FAVORED ATLANTA
OVER BIRMINGHAM
Georgia Bankers Reported
to Have Promised Capt.
tai Branch Bank
STATEMENT ISSUED
BY WILLIAM H. KETTIG
Montgomery People Do Not Indorse
Action of Their Bankers-Also Re-
ported to Have Promised Mont
gOmery Director

In statement dictated yesterday, Col
William III. Kettig sheds some interesting
light upon the action of the Montgomery
clearing house in selecting Atlanta for the
regional bank as against Birmingham.
While he carefully avoids the use of any
words directly making such a charge.
his interview carries the impression that
Atlanta and Montgomery have traded on
the proposition. 1t is suggested that At
lanta has promised to locate a branch of
her bank in Montgomery. and it is also
automatically suggested that a promi-
nent citizen of Montgomery has been
promised place as director on the
regional bank board.
In conclusion Colonel Kettig says that
Montgomery people do not indorse the
action of her bankers He says that
over s1,5oo,0o0 worth of property is owned
here by Montgomery citizens. and they
are deeply interested in the welfare and
progress of Birmingham.
kettig Issues Statement
THE contest for a regional bank for
Birmingham is progressing in a way sat-
isfactory to the committee" said Colonel
Kettig. The prospects are getting bet
ter every day and when we appear before
the locating board In Atlanta Saturday
we hope to offer such substantial argu-
ments in favor of Birmingham that | am
inclined to believe We will be successful.
We will present to them an outline of
territory that will reach from the Poto-
mac to the Rio Grande. We hope a bank
will be located in Richmond, one in Bir-
,ff1er al IA.
vide the entire territory of the southern
states and make the banks about 6vo
miles apart.
the Montgomery clearing house has in
dorsed Atlanta-Montgomery first and At
lanta second. The Carolinas have refused
to indorse Atlanta and the principal sup
port that Atlanta now has Is a few towns
in Georgia and the city of Montgomery
1T has been rumored and ! think we
can prove that the Atlanta bankers have
offered to locate branch bank in Mont
gomery instead of one in Birmingham.
This may have had something to do with
the Montgomery bankers support of At
lanta. 1t Is also rumored that the At
lanta bankers have offered to elect a
prominent Montgomery man as a director
in the regional bank.
Atlanta Cannot Make Good
IF the Montgomery bankers will study
the law they will find that Atlanta can
not make good these promises The law
provides that the directors of the bank
shall be elected by a vote of all the banks
making up the regional bank Atlanta
would have little influence in promoting
the candidacy of any particular man.
II hope that the Montgomery bankers
have not been infiuepced by promises and
fiattery of this kind and / presume their
action was based on patriotism. although
they overlooked entirely state pride.
THE detection of Montgomery from
our support is one of the .unlindest cuts
of all. Located, as Montgomery is, near
to Birmingham we had a right to expect
their support for second choice. We are
informed that the action of the Montgom-
cry clearing house is not Endorsed by the
Montgomery citizens generally. We have
letters from prominent people in Mont
gomery stating that their preference for
a regional bank is Birmingham over At
lanta. 1t is also fact that the Mont
gomery people own over 81, 100000 worth
OF property in Birmingham and the in
terest of the Montgomery people Is more
in Birmingham than 1t Is in Atlanta.
1.-THE contest Birmingham is making is
not based on promises to other towns
that we cannot deliver or make good.
Our contest Is based entirely on the great
progress Birmingham is making and the
prospects that Birmingham Will soon
eclipse Atlanta in population and in COM
mercial Importance. We are not Offering
directorships the location of branch
banks in order to get the support of
other cities. We have laid out a broad
and definite plan which We will present
to the regional bank commission. 1t is
based on facts and reason.
1--WE believe that when the commission
hears our side of it they will locate the
regional bank in Birmingham"