The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-02
SENATOR BANKHEAD CALLS UPON
 ALABAMA TO GET READY TO USE

Washington. August l.-tSpecialD An open Warrior from cordova at the Frisco railroad crossing to the Gulf of Mexico, through the port of Mobile, is assured of completion within another 12 months.
 The completion of the lock and dam at the head of Squaw shoals, known as lock F, removes the last obstruction to all open river the year around from the heart of the coal fields in the Bir- ningham district to the gulf. This stu pendous project has been in progress for more than 25 years.
 Few people know or realize the many difficulties that have been met and overcome More than S11,000.000 have been appropriated, and when completed the stretch of improvement on the Ala Lama, 'Bigbee and Warrior will be the longest canalized river in the United States. and if properly utilized will be- come the greatest coal bearing river in the world. We have often been con- fronted with the inqury, both in the committee room and on the floor of . Corgress-where is the commerce to justify this large expenditure by the government? There was and could be,
  pertinent questions.
 There is no commerce at present"
 The primary purpose on the part or Congress was to make available the immense and almost exhaustless depos- it's of natural wealth within the Bir- nurgham district. and to enable It to find a market for the products Of its mines, factories and mills at mini mum cost O ftransportation-the ele- ment of cost in distribution being chief factor in the commerce or thls country.
 The completion of the Panama canal offers still further opportunities TOT access to the great markets of the world. There is no necessity to en- large on this branch of the subject
 Money Is Available
 Every dollar necessary to complete this, the greatest of all transportation projects in the United States IS avail able The present rivers and harbors b,ll has an item of $750.000 with which 10 complete the work from CordoVa to the gulf Everything that could be has been done from this end of the line, and the beneficial results to follow rest with those who are willing to take ad- vantage of the situation thus created, without direct cost of one dollar. The opportunity has come to make Bir- nlingham the greatest manufacturing center in the south and Mobile the greatest port on the south Atlahtlc coast, or the Gulf of Mexico The Warrior will have six feet. Of water to the gulf every day In the year. There is no other situation like it in the United States. Navigation will be constant and certain. It will not freeze over or fall below six feet congesting traffic and demoralizing business as does the Ohio. Pittsburg can never com pete with Birmingham. As the river Iuns it is more than 1000 miles further from the gulf. Norfolk Is now our chief coal seaport as most of the coal for the Atlantic, the gulf. Cuba and Cen tral America is shipped from that point Practically all ships plying in south Atlantic and gulf waters, engaged in foreign and coastwise traffic, coal at Norfolk.
 Ships carrying grain, cotton lumber, oil etc., from New Orleans and Calves ton pass relatively near Mobile, but with few exceptions, coal at Norfolk.
 Comparative Freight Rates
 The freight rate from West Virginia coal fields to Norfolk by rail is $1.f0 pei ton while that from the Birmingham dis trict to Mobile is $110 per ton, or an advantage in favor of the Birmingham district of 30 cents per ton. Considering the relative locations, loading facilities and established markets, the advantage