The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-15
RESULT OF CONFERENCE

fled committee representing all Bfr- mingham civic bodies to which was referred the matter of Warrior river navigation. arrived home from Wash ington Friday night and yesterday aft ernoon called a meeting of the com mittee for the purpose of considering what further steps should be taken. MT. Nesbitt and Judge B. M. Allen of the committee and E. w. Barrett appeared with Senators Bankhead and Underwood before Director General McAdoo last Monday and urged that he authorize the construction of the six steel barges recommended by Dr. G. A. Tomlinson, who recently came here at MT. McAdoo's direction to in- vestigate and report on the type of craft suitable for the Warrior. At the conclusion of the conference the committee felt reasonably certain that MT. McAdoo would authorize the construction of the barges, but as he held the matter over for another week. they were determined to get before him everything that could possibly have any influence in determining his action.
 MT. Nesbitt and Judge Allen had re- ported to the committee the results of their conference with the direc- tor general and suggestions for addi- tional facts and arguments were being considered when the telegram was de- livered to them. As they had been led to believe while in Washington that no action might be taken until after MT. McAdoos retirement from the treasury department tomorrow, the tell egram came as a great surprise to them and to the balance of the con- mittee. As soon as its full import was J IL. t1 Af tho ft- tee congratulated themselves and Bir- mingham on the signal victory, and tore up all resolutions and arguments and memoranda they had been con sidering.
 Birmingham people have been work ing for five years for the thing that is DOW assured them. With the com pletion of Dam No. IT, movement was inaugurated for the development of the river traffic. but 1t was long and tedious job, and discourgement after Encouragement was met with;
 seemingly insurmountable obstacles constantly obtruded themselves untt.
 hope apparently was the only thing left
 Then when the government took over
 the control of the Warrior river last
 July and linked it with the Mississippi river, under the management of M. J.
 Sanders of New Orleans, hope revived, only to be dashed again and again. Navi-
 gaton was begun on the Mississippi early in September and promises-prom-
 ises only--were held out to the Warrior
 river people. MT. Sanders was invited tc Birmingham and when he came. in September, realization of the dream of Warrior development seemed as far
 away as ever. Delegations were sent to
 Washington and with Alabama's two
 senators and Representative Oliver of
 Tuscaloosa. interviewed MT McAdoo.
 s1,75o,o ,ooo APPROPRIATION Dr. G. A. Tomlinson, director of inland waterways of the United States railroad administration, was dispatched to Ala hama by MT. McAdoo to investigate and report on the type of craft best suited for economical and successful operation on the Warrior. pr. Tomlinson. after a
 trip down the Warrior and a day in Mo bile, recommended the construction of six self-propelled steel barges at a cost of $1,7500o0. The capacity of each will
 be 1900 tons, to be increased to 2200 tons las soon as an eight-foot stage of water
 was secured for the river.
 This report was handed to MT. Me-
 Adoo, but in the stress of other duties
 he was unable to take it up at once. MT. McAdoo was then invited to come to
 Alabama and see for himself the possi~
 
 ing part of one day at Mobile and ar hour in Birmingham on November 2s,
 but Germany had signed the armistice in the meantime and he expressed some doubts as to his authority under the act
 of Congress to use any of the $500. 900 revolving fund appropriated to the rail- road administration in view of the fact that the war was over.
 PROVISIONS OF ACT The committee cited the provisions of the act which fixed no limit on the time | in which portions of this revolving fund might be used for the development or in land waterways. Stating that he desired further time in which to look into the matter, MT. McAdoo announced to the committee and the Alabama senators that he would decide it immediately after l his retirement as Secretary of the Treas | ury tomorrow. His decision. therefore, came at least two days earlier than was expected.
 The steel barges recommended by Dr. Tomlinson will be built with the view to hauling both coal and other commodities and to ply not only the Warrior river. but the Gulf of Mexico. They will be so arranged that shipments of dry goods, grain and other articles may be brought up the river from Mobile and New Or leans as we'll as coal, iron and other heavy products taken down stream from the upper reaches of the river. Henry T. DeBardeleben, manager of transportation on the Warrior, has been in Mobile and New Orleans the past week looking after the equipment recently talk en over by the government from the De- Bardeleben Coal company. the Pratt Con- solidated Coal company and the Alabama New Orleans Transportation company.
 The greater part of this equipment has
 been repaired and overhauled and is now either in commission or will be within the next three or four weeks.