The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-05
STEEL DECISION AND IFS EFFECT ON BIRMINGHAM | ABSORBING TOPIC General Hope Had Been Felt That Further Litiga-
 tion Would Not Be Necessary MORE COMMENTS
 BY CITIZENS ON
 DEGREES RESULT Bowron Says It Proves Competition Exists in the Steel Industry.
 Others Express Their Deep
 Qualification

The judicial stimulent given Birming- ation good corporation" was the ab- sorbing topic for discussion in Bir- mingham yesterday.
 All through the day the great de- cision was discussed by men in all walks of life and the common opinion was that nothing so great has hap pened in Birmingham since the Steel corporation bought the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad company with the ex- press permission of President Roose- welt
 Interviews received yesterday afternoon were largely based on the hope that the government would not find it necessary to take an appeal as the announcement by the attorney general that this step would be taken was not made until late last night.
 Among expressions made yesterday about the decision one from James Steel company. will prove of excep- tional interest.
 BOwron Gratified
 MT. Bowron said:
 q am deeply gratified to hear that three federal judges have unanimously decided in favor of the United States Steel corporation In suit for dissolu- tion brought on behalf of the United States government. This decision, think must express the consensus of in. dustrial opinion of the country at large | fny ha axyf1 Iie,o sf time in this suit, whilst quite volumi. nous, was overwhelmingly of one kind Ut showed that the percentage ol steel products produced by this cor poration, while large, was on the whole l g gradually diminishing, and that com petition in the steel industry was pei | contra gradually increasing. It showes also that the methods of the Steel cor poration, through it's various subsidi ary companies. were fair to competitors that they took no secret underhand O. oppressive attitudes towards thei | competitors, but on the contrary tha l they were liberal, broadminded. an, | n;agnanimous where the opportunit, 1 offered. It showed that, so far iron using their giant strength for the op pressing of labor, they, the subsidiar. companies, in harmony with the in spiration from the leader of the corpor
 
 place in the van of progress, spendin, vancement of the condition of their em money with great liberality for the ad ployes, with a notable and highly grat flying result in the decrease of acci dents. The general conditions of sani tation and domestic welfare are such both from the standpoint of health an, | recreation, as, in my opinion, ref1ec the highest credit upon the men who's haan fn he ,ahI | impulses that animate humanity, name ly, uplift in all directions of those who's individual efforts could not suffice L attain the obect
 Valuable Experiments
 The great capital at the command o the corporation has permitted it. in va rious directions to make experiments O the highest value, in developing moder methods and industrial processes cheap ening costs, improving machinery, in creasing output, and conserving resources l think that the entire United States owe large debt of gratitude to the Unite States Steel corporation, and to the off cers of 1t and of the subsidiary com panles. who have achieved so large
 share of the progress that has been, an is still, making the United States 0 America the leading nation upon earth. "1 hope it may not be too much t trust that in view of the character c the evidence and the unanimous decisio of the three impartial judges who hay given long and patient considerable thereto the department of justice ma feel itself content to refrain from talk ing an appeal to the supreme court c the United Statess which would postpon the final decision for perhaps anothe year or longer. It seems to me that is greatly to be desired at the preser time that. with the foreign problems cor fronting the administration, all the rank of Americans should close up solidly { strengthen the Presidents hands. Ther are sufficient problems at this moment ( great importance on the outside of tn country to require the undivided though and action of our government, and I al sure that the sentiment of this countr
 would strongly indorse the President the United States if he should give a
 intimation to the Attorney General ths this matter be now regarded as res jud
 cata.
 Local sentiment will doubtless be keer
 ly alert as to what steps may be take in this district, as the result of thi j decision for the further development (
 the plans of the Tennessee Coal, Iro l and Railroad company. k would be pro l sumptuous for any outsider to make an