The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-02
bEG|NN|NGO OF YEAR | SHOWS BUSINESSES RAPIDLY IMPROVING Many Evidences of Renewed Confidence Are Pointed
 Out in New York GOOD WORK DONE BY SOUTHERN RAILWAY Has Developed Fine System of Aid ing People of South to Locate
 Proper Markets for
 Products
By HOLLAND

New York, January 1.-(SpeciaL)-It is commonly believed in the Wall street dis trict that since the opening of the stock exchange the disposition has been strong to overdiscount, as the term is market conditions; tha. is to say instead of a disposition to forecast the future by such favorable action as appreciation of se- curities would show, the tendency has been the other way. This, however, Is thought to be not bad but a good condi- tion. No small part of the transactions in the exchange appears to have been for the account of weak or timid holders of securities who have been struggling under the burden of carrying them since last August. They have been, since the stock exchange was opened, taking ad vantage of the opportunity for ridding themselves of these burdens.
 It can be reported that there are many evidences of renewed confidence. Not the least of these is furnished by the man. Ter in which business men everywhere have accepted the spirit which is con tained in the recent decision of the in- terstate commerce commission permitting the eastern railroads to increase rates. The more direct effect upon business will be felt little later when the railroads are in a position to secure new capital. Almost all of this will be disbursed in the purchase of equipment, supplies and various commodities needed for the inn lrovement of the railway systems. The belief is also strong that business in the It,- J then with leaps and bounds, increase until our people have all they can do to meet the demands, both domestic and foreign.
 The public does not as yet fully under stand how widespread is the interest of our manufacturers in the various propo- sitions which have been made for the purpose of increasing our export trade. The best informed are inclined to think that the record made by our exports in the year 1915 will be not only the greatest we have ever made, but will also come very near matching in money value the exports from Great Britain in the past four or five years.
 Work of Great Railroad Company
 There are in this city visible evidences of this interest. One of the organizations recently created for the purpose of per feeting methods by which our foreign trade may be increased now has on file 1S,000 letters as well as abstracts of per sonal interviews which represent the sentiment of manufacturers in every part of the country. Many of these manu- facturers are anxious to embark in for eign trade, although heretofore they have not done this. All of the letters show that the feeling is general that the op- lortunity is now in hand for every busi- ness map in the United States to share in the movement for the sale in foreign lands of American commodities.
 There can be no better illustration of the spirit which characteriZes all who see what the opportunities are than one which is furnished by the Southern Rail- road company. Incidentally, it may be said that this great corporation has to as great an extent as any other railroad company in the United States undertaken to establish full cooperation between the people of the districts through which 1t passes and the railroad company itself.
 Until recently. however, this co-opera- tion was almost exclusively domestic. The managers of the Southern corpdra- ton, in the spring of last year. organ ized highly perfected system designed to explain what the opportunities for foreign trade are and how they may be met. especially by the people of the south. It is an organization in which the presi- dent of the Southern, Fairfax harrison, is greatly interested, and in the nine months since it's organization the agent, C. l.. Chandler has already accomplished a great work.
 Some years ago, the managers of the Gould system of railroads undertook to develop trade chiefly with Mexico and. until chaotic conditions prevailed in Mex leo, met with good deal of success. This example was followed by four other rail- road systems. among them the Southern. The Southern railroads agency Is now in position to give reliable information to merchants and manufacturers of the south