The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-07-30

Diosenes to define man. but Industrial
wealth comes from the manipulation at
home of these articles, and their CONVEX
sion into the forms required abroad. This
bit of observation is not new. AS long
ago as the seventeenth century Lord
Bacon observed that Flanders and Hol-
land had their best mines above ground,
he referring, of course, to their manu-
features, his compa rison being with Eng
land, which at that time did the mining
business of the world. You could not
market wheelbaSrows in Birmingham and
market them in the outer world on
competitive basis, unless, taking your foot
In your hand, you should wheel them out
of the city yourself and Sell them. The
city of Florence maintains wagon fac
tory in competition with the Miburns,
and the Studebakers but it is because
she can get out with her wagons. and, in
the language of the late lamented Mr..
Guppy, if Birmingham could Just get
out with something, we could have the
manufactures all right. 1t is waste of
breath, time and energy to talk of bring
Ing small Industries to Birmingham until
these same small Industries can see their
way out. That cheap iron and coal is of
small consequence is illustrated by the
migration to more genial climes of our
sadiron factory. Cheap building sites;
cheap raw or crude material; financial
assistance; exemption from taxes for a
spell; may all be thrown into the junk
heap until such time as Birmingham shall
be able to get out with something man
ufactured here. To invite the small man
ufacturer here is futile, for like that
wise animal in our fable above, he notes
that all footprints lead into the city, and
that none lead out and he will have none
OF it.
AN OLD CRY
Neither cheap labor, nor cheap mater
ial nor cheap building sites are of any
consequence when, as Lord Bacon says,
the venture or carriage of a commodity is
disproportioned to it's value in the
markets using it, Small industries
Small INDUSTRIES has been the refrain
for many years. Like Glendower's Spirits
from the wasty deep" you may call them
but they will not come until they can
see some evidences of footprints leading
out of the city, Our affected spirit of
cooperation in the matter of opening
that little black box has resulted in
getting together at times the most hetero-
genious lot of councillors city ever got
together but in all these years they seem
never to have come to an agreement upon
the proposition that what Birmingham
needs is, to repeat from Mr.. Guppy, to
be able to ''get out" Atlanta is an Illus
tration.
Situated as 1t Is upon a bleak barren
granite rock, 40 miles from water sol
miles from grub, and 6 inches from
Hades by nature. she flourishes like Pal |
myra in the desert. Were 1t not for the !
fostering care bestowed upon her by her
transportation lines Atlanta would not
be at all. The railroads are compelled to |
take care of Atlanta as means to their |
own salvation: but it Is not SO with Biz
We have an enormous tonna ge !
or raw and crude stuffs with the bring |
ing out Of which the transportation COM
panies are we'll satisfied, and 1t is GER
tainly good business on their part 10 |
force us to buy from Atlanta and Column |
bus, Georgia, the things we ought to pro-
duce here, and in the production of which
we should go out to the markets now I'M
der the command of those cities, for they
thereby get freights coming and going, |
and, except insofar as their own in
terests are concerned in this behalf, the |
companies must needs take |
put little interest In the matter of manu-
features In one place or another 1t is |
clear that 1t would be to the interest OF a |
transcontinental lines to ordain that shoes |
could be procured at Boston only, and
that leather could be procured in Sanl
francisco only. All leather would have
to go to San Francisco to be transhipped
to Boston, and all shoes would be dis
tributed from Boston. Rega Rdless, how
ever of our conflicting interests, we all |
get together at love feast, resolve to CO.
operate. and by dint of that cooperation
we have secured a carload or cargo Of !
worcestershire sauce at living rate of |
freight, whether we ever make any here
or ship any of 1t out, is matter of the
concern Against stupidity the
gods themselves are powerless"
A. LATADY.