The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-09-01
ALABAMA FIRST IS l SLOGAN IN EFFORT i. ID GET FARM BANK Oscar Wells Explains Cam
 paign of Three Cities of
 State ALL WORKING FOR
 GOOD OF ALABAMA Chairman of Local Committee Out lines in Bank Publication Plans Upon Which Cities Are Working
For Alabama and Birmingham.


 ments advanced by this city in it's ef- fort to secure the location of federal farm loan bank here. There will be no disparagement of the claims of Mont gomery and Mobile That the latter two cities will follow the same course is to be expected.
 Alabama need not apologize for hav- ing several candidates for the location of the farm loan bank in the opinion of Oscar Wells, president of the First National bank, and chairman of the committee seeking to land the coveted prize for Birmingham. MT. Wells in a signed article which appears in the September issue of Sixty one-One, the monthly publication of the First Ma tional bank, gives an able exposition of the land bank situation as it affects Alabama and the three cities of this state contending for the institution.
 It is an expression of the greater degree of public interest and spirit that several cities within the confines of the state should work to secure the bank, in the opinion of MT. Wells. All will strive for Alabama first and each will impress upon the members of the farm loan board the advantages possessed by this state for the loca- tion. Partisan rivalry will find no place in their campaigns and unity Of action will mark their efforts.
 The article of MT. Wells follows:
 RURAL CREDITS BILL
 Within the month some material de- velopments have occurred in the oper- ation of the new law technically desig- mated as the federal farm loan act, but perhaps better known as the rural credits bill. The board has been organ ized and MT. George w. Norris, the Philadelphia member, has been desig- mated as the farm loan commissioner for which the act provides. This con- pares with the position of governor of the federal reserve board which ad- ministers the provisions of the federal reserve act. The farm loan board has already set upon it's duties by enter ing into the conduct of hearings In the northern tier of states from Maine to Washington. Thirteen points have been visited and data collected. The itinerary for the south has not yet been announced and probably will not be for some weeks, thus giving a long, CT indulgence to the hopes of every southern applicant that it may be chosen as the point at which the board will sit gathering information for its guidance in fixing boundary lines of districts and locating the banks with in their borders. Some weeks ago it became currently rumored that hear ings would be held at the capitols ot states visited and many believed that the board would follow that course that it might be relieved of the ne- cessity of choosing between contend ing cities, urging claims for designa- ton in the itinerary The engagements already filled indicate that the board did not feel the need of such a pre- cedent, but elected rather to exercise its own judgment in selecting its route in travelling about the country in search of first hand knowledge upon which to base it's conclusions, when the time comes for dividing the coun- try into districts and locating bank in each. The board has met at capitals of states and 1t has met at other points. LOCATION OF BAND
 When it was first known that Alabama would have more than one applicant foi the federal land bank in this district, be- fore the federal farm loan board 1t was matter of much concern to the entire citizenship who were interested in bring ing the location of the bank to this state It was deplored by many members of the Alabama delegation in Congress who hao assisted in the passage of this important piece of legislation. The local commit tee handling the matter for Birmingham was inclined to the prevalent belief that the opportunities for Alabama would bt lessened, If we could not unite upon 2 single point and make the campaign ol statewide significance. It decided tt take the first step in the direction ol raconciling the ambitions of Alabama's chief cities, Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile. and accordingly invited rep resentatives of the latter two to mee with it to discuss the situation and learr whether there should follow any volun tary relinqushment of the claims of any in favor of another. The meeting was held about the luncheon table composed of representative business men from tht three cities. The natural thing ensued Each with the better knowledge of ant greater confidence in it's own fitness con cluded to remain among the list of ap plicants. very cordial spirit of Joy alty for Alabama characterized the de Alterations and pledges were freely giver for a harmonious procedure upon tn, | part of each in it's own campaign, in | cluding an attitude of tolerance towar( the others. The federal farm loan board when Alabama is reached in tn. process of Investigating conditions under which the purposes of the law are to bs