The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-22

day stated his firm did an annual busi-
 ness of about $1.0000O0. It's freight bills 2 re about per cent or S2000o a year. With water transportation actually in eff feet. that bill would be cut exactly in half with an annual savings to the one firm of $l0o0O.
 Then merchants of the Birmingham dis trict in shipping goods from New York could take either the water route or the rail roiite. for inst as soon as actual
 water transportation is secured the rail | roads will reduce their rates to meet 1t
 as they have done in similar cases before. The two ways of shipping will remoln | about on par, however, in that the time
 from New York to Birmingham by water VIII be almost as fast as by rail At present freight shipments by rail between
 these two points require about six days on an average. By the water route it IS stated the shipment would be made easily l In nine days-five days from New York
 to Mobile, three days up the river and one day into Birmingham proper
 l Negotiations now gre on between the | railroads and transportation committee oi | the Chamber of Commerce, R. A. Porter
 chairman, and L. Sevier of the Southern
 Railroad company, in regard to the leas- ing or purchase by the city or county of the present southern line between Bif-
 mingham and Maxine, on the Warrior river. With considerable improvements
 this line could be made into county or city transportation line connecting tn. city proper with navigation
 | Others are urging the construction of a
 highway between Birmingham and the headwaters of the navigable stream By | such road, constructed on modern meth
 ods and with steep grades eliminated
 freight could be moved to and from the head of navigation, it is said, by motor truck.
 Solors May Do Something 1 The board of revenue appears to think
 the county unable to undertake the propo- sition at the present time, although the | members of the board are highly inter- ested in the project. Members of the leg | islature have been interested. Legislation at the recessed session in July may be forthcoming. A meeting of the good
 roads committee, H. M. Beck chairman,
 and the waterways committee, Erskine Ramsay chairman, of the Chamber of
 Commerce. has been called for Monday
 morning at Il o'clock to consider this con
 meeting link between the city proper and the navigable Warrior
 Strong undercurrents toward several schemes are to be noticed and within the llnext few days it is entirely probable that plan or plans for this last link in the system that will give Birmingham water
 transportation rates will be made public. 1 Even though the plan for an electric
 railroad, operated by power generated at l Lock F. or a steam railroad through the purchase or leasing of the Ensley South | ern is decided upon, it is probable the con l struction of a highway to the head of navigation will be undertaken anyhow, although in this case it would not have to
 be as pretentious in order to stand the
 wear of heavy hauling with trucks. | Already 1t is understood the Southern
 club is planning the construction of an
 annex or country club at a site along the Warrior, where members can drive with
 their automobiles to stay for day or two
 and enjoy fishing. boating and swimming 1 The traffic to the river would in time be-
 come very heavy. it is believed and means | for handling the public would develon