The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-16

1 1 flats of the type of the thousands that have been built in the city of Baltimore ! for the accommodations of workmen who | realize and appreciate the necessity of | giving their families decent and health l tul quarters in which to live and rear 1 tfeir children. The companies which | have tried the welfare work in the Bir- 1 m'ngham district report that aside from ] the humanitar rian side of the question. ! it has been instrumental in raising the | efficiency of their men by reason of their i being satisfied not only to work, but ] apply themselves for higher things. | Wholesome living, clean body and sat ] isfied mind make for the betterment of
 the race and mean higher efficiency and i higher standards. Therefore, living con- dltfons in the Birmingham district are being given very careful and serious con- sideration at this time. Simultaneously with above improve
 ments, comes increasing activity in Bir- mingham's movements toward actually getting on the Warrior river in order that it's wholesale and jobbing interests as well as industrial plants, may be bene- fitted by the saving in freight which rightfully belongs to the district and in this way make the field more inviting to small and substantial industries of all kinds The interests of the district realize that if they are to directly de- rive the advantages that are coming
 to them by the expenditure of 15000 OO0 by the national government in making the Warrior river navigable to the Gulf
 Of Mexico, they must act now their part Tn putting Birmingham on the river The newspapers of the state have done much good in crystalizing public senti- ent in favor of the movement as well as
 the Chamber of Commerce of Birming- ham.
 The government rendered the serv- ices of Maj. G. k. Little in offering suggestions as to the feasibility of se- lecting point for terminals on the
 river. Two or three different routes
 from Birmingham to the river have been sugSe ested-any one of which is good--.noW it is squarely up to the people to say what steps shall he
 taken in making actual connection pos
 siole. A contrasting lesson can be
 drawn by the people of Alabama from
 the movement of the citizens of Hous-
 ton, Tex, and Harris county in actu-
 ally putting Houston on. deep water.
 Those who are familiar with the To-
 cation of this Texas city know that it
 is 3 to 15 miles from the business
 section to Harrisburg, which was for
 merly the head of real navigable Wa
 ter in Buffalo bayou, or ship chan
 nel- The citizens were not satisfied
 with having the city removed 12 miles
 from deep water were they sat-
 lsf1ed with the natural contour and
 meanderings of the stream. With that
 vim and progressivenes characteristic
 of the westerner, the city and county
 made the government a proposition to issue bonds and raise $1,25000O if a like amount would be appropriated by
 the government so as to straighten the
 stream, dredge and construct a turn
 ing basin to within five miles of the heart of the city. The government ac. cepted the proposition; the work has
 been completed and today Houston,
 Tex, is at the head of deep water and
 on the Gulf of Mexico by reason of connection with Trinity bay and Gal weston bay via the Buffalo bayou---a stream which several years ago was considered a joke" by even the cit izens of Houston
 The history of Houston, Tex, as a jobbing center is too well known to be dwelt upon It is only question of short time before the industrial interests of the district will be enjoy ing the full benefits of the Warrior river in the transportation of raw ma- terials, such as coal and pig iron. But to make the stream of real value to the district, whole, provision should be made to utilize the river in ] the transportation of finished products and with this provision made-with coHSedueHt loWellHS ol lTeiSHt TdleS ] to and from Brming ingham-outside in- terests will be seeking the district as a location for their plants instead of the citizens and organizations of Bir- mingham Waging a Stereotyped cam paign for the location of diversified in- terests. Evil causes must be eliminated before natural effects can be expect ed. Therefore. good motto would be: "So adjust conditions that they will speak for themselves"
 Birmingham, March 27. 1916.