The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-21
New Interpretations of Past Year Show How Industry Has Been Revolution
 ized in Alabama Port
CHICKASAW co. IS BUILDING HOUSES
 AHEAD OF PLANTS
City of Mobile Is to Let Con- tract in February for the New $6O0,000 Arling-
 ton Docks

Mobile, January .-(Special)- )-Mobile interpretations for 1917 is the strongest evidence the Gulf City has to offer to prove it's contention that business has revolutionized here.
 The year just begun finds many more industries established-and these indus tries are all of a permanent nature. A study of local interpretations for the year. however, is misleading, despite the fact that probate court records show new firms were incorporated for total ot S, 4,776,550 These interpretations do not in- clude any Of the big industries that have caused several of the country's largest trade and daily publications to predict that Mobile is destined to have the great est shipbuilding industry in the country.
 Over 30 ships, to cost many millions of dollars, are being built in Mobile. How many ships will be built here by the United States Steel corporations sub- sdiary-the Chickasaw Shipbuilding com pany-remains to be seen. But Mobile, it is believed, is assured of shipbuilding~ work to the capacity of every local plant for years to come. When the Chickasaw plant is completed Mobile will have six sh;pbuilding yards, as follows: The Ala bama Drydock and Shipbuilding com- pany. the Henderson Shipbuilding coin- pany, the Mobile Shipbuilding company, the Mernan Shipbuilding corporation. and the J. M. Scott plant.
 SPEEDING UP CONSTRUCTION
 The Chickasaw Shipbuilding company is speeding it's work of construction in a manner that has surprised thousands of persons who have visited the Chickasa- bogue site. A small army of men is em- ployed there, and houses are not only be- xJ1 being furnished now. This corporation is working with the view of first providing comfortable homes for it's men, thereby avoiding labor shortage that is now be- ing experienced by large industries of the east and other sections of the coun-- try where there is much work offering, but no places for housing these people. When the Chickasaw company has pre- pared suitable homes for it's workmen, it Is understood that then the actual build ing of it's 10 shipbuilding ways will begin. It is case of building town and then putting gigantic industry there to sup port the town
 Another major port facility for Mobile recently announced will be the 10000-ton drydock of the aAlabama Drydock and Shipbuilding company. This dock will cost $500 900, and is to be constructed with the assistance of the federal government.
  kind on the gulf and south Atlantic coast for commercial business where vessels of 5000 tons and over can be repaired. It means that Mobile is destined to be a calling port for numerous vessels which. otherwise would not stop here. ! Next to the Chickasaw Shipbuildng company, the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding company will be the biggest plant of it's kind in Mobile The Alabama f,fS, o,aNr is.h ho9 yn6 aatit ,vy capital. Since it's organization, just a year ago, it has been constantly increase ing it's facilities for handling jobs of a big nature
 Several weeks ago Mobile completed it's first war vessel for the United States navy. It was a submarine chaser-the third craft of it's kind launched here of ! a contract for four vessels-and it is now supposed to be in the navy yard al Pensacola. These chasers are built Il the Henderson Shipbuilding compani The contract alone on these vessels total ss40,000
 The Mobile Shipbuilding company is a ship constructing branch of the Kelly Atkinson Contracting company of .Chi- ; cago. This company has just finished ; laying Reels for six vessels for the United States shipping board. This con- tract calls for IS steel and wood vessels at cost of s10,000,0O0. The Mernan com pany has contract for four similar ves- sels to cost S3000,000 The J. M. Scott shipbuilding yards are occupied with pri- vate work, building six auxiliary schoon. CTS,
 The city of Mobile does not contemplate any very great port improvement except the s600,000 Arlington docks. Contract for these docks will be let in February, and it is believed that the work will be- gin soon afterwards. Commissioner Har- ny Pillans has said that because of the pressing need for facilities of this kind on account of the war the Arlington docks will be rushed to completion at the earliest possible moment.