The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-12
STRONG OPPOSITION
 AGAINST MEASURE
Meridian Doesn't Want LO- cal Public Utilities Under
 R. R. Commission

Meridian, Miss. March 11.-tspecialD The bill which has passed the house of representatives of the state legislature to have all local public utilities put under the control of the railroad commissioner is meeting strong opposition here. Both Mayor Parker and the two councilmen oi the city are opposed to the move because 1t would take the control of the Meridian Light and Railway company out of the hands of the city government and this Is not at all desirable The city and the street car company have no trouble in adjusting their affairs and under the present plan the company pays taxes on more than half a million dollars worth of property in this city, or more than 5t per cent of all the railroads. with theii terminals, passenger stations. freight sta. tion and shops.
 Besides this the street car company in this city is a liberal subscriber to the Board of Trade, pays $500 toward helpine to secure music for Highland park. fur nishes the lights free for the park, fur nishes power for the carrousel and mov- ing pictures, all free of charge The company is very liberal, which might not be under state control. The people here want the legislature to let this matter purely local, alone, as it will be dlsad- vantage to the city if the senate passes the house bill
 center that will In some respects riva1 New York. This is not deplored by New Yorkh bankers. The ablest of them have testified publicly. as George F. Baker did last fall, that undoubtedly this mo. nopolstic tendency had gone too far, and was creating conditions which were not for the best interest of the country It is inevitab ble. however, that New York remain for a long term of years the commercial center, and this will be ir part due to the fact that the greater part of the imports into the United States and more than one-half of the revenue received from customs dues will pass through New York city, the customs rev. enues on their way to Washington direct. ly or indirectly and the importations or their way to all parts of the country The magnitude of the manufacturing in terests of the metropolitan district will for years. make it possible for New Tori city to maintain commercial precedence There can be commercial prestige withou financial prestige as is shown by tn, record made by Liverpool which is on, of the worlds great commece centers while London still retains her finaneia l re-eminence in the money markets O | the world.
 The Export Trade
 Another factor which is regarded a I certain to aid in maintaining the com ! mercial prestige of New York is the es
 tabishment here of the great sellin,
 agencies. In well informed circles the be l lief is strong that one of the importan | effects of the new tariff and of the ney l banking and currency laws will be dis | covered within the course of year o
 two through the greater advance upoi
 the markets of the world by those wh
 manufacture American commodities. | Already there are in China, in Can
 ada and in some parts of South Americ 1 representatives of man1 of the larg 1 corporations who are seeking market | in those countries. The selling agencie which have contributed so greatly to ou
 export trade in manufactured product are for the most part established in Ne, | Y ork. and this is not due so much | l the fact that New York has been tn 1 financial center as to the fact that for
 eign commerce, both incoming and out | going, concentrates to a great eXten
 in the harbor of New York.
 | It may be that in the course of 1 few months it will be known that som who are now in China as representa- | tives of two or three of the great cor porations of the United States have sue ] ceeded in negotiating very importan
 contracts involving large amounts O money.
 l A day or two ago information cam
 from Great Britain that the America l Woolen company was about to establish | an agency in London. That seem
 also like carrying coals to Newcastle 1 but it is an understanding directly con
 sequent upon the enactment of the nev | tariff law.
 Entering Foreign Markets American manufacturers are sending | in greater and greater amounts, fin ished articles into foreign markets s