The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-28

| Will IOL SpOli Hly udpplAACoo Dy U I will not impugn the motives of
 I will not dwell on unclean things l will not live narrow, a provinc are still giving their read CTS a great deal for nominal sum. The world is combed for the latest and ost interesting news by the most expert news gatherers; there are spe- cial articles by the score, written by people whose names are familiar in every home and in many lands; there are numerous special features, all de- manding the expenditure of time, en- ergy, brains and money. Yet the whole, arranged in the most attrac- tive manner known to the newspaper business, is promptly placed at the disposal of the reader for a dime.
 The newspaper publishers can never be justly accused of profiteer- ing by increasing their rates. For years they have given the public more than value received.
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 Coal and Iron
 Production Increasing
 M LABAMA fell behind m both 1A coal aud iron production dur ing the year 1919, but in the closing weeks of December the indications are that the year 1920 will witness de- cided revival in both industries.
 The furnaces in this district are sold out for several months ahead, and there is urgent demand for all the coal that can be mined.
 Reports made joy the coal operators during the year, when totaled, it is believed will show production this year to be somewhere aroNnd sixteen million tons, as against about nine- teeu million five hundred thousand tons in 1918, and twenty million four hundred and thirteen thousand tons in 1917.
 This loss is attributed to several causes, the main one being the let down in business following the sign ing of the armistice in November, 1918; car shortage during the sum- mer when there were signs of a re- vival, followed by the miners strike on November 1.
 All of these causes contributed their share toward decreased produc- ton, but with the strike ended, cars enough to handle the entire output and with stronger demand now evil dent, the daily average no doubt will rise shortly after the holiday season to approximately the figures of 1917.
 There are about twenty-four blast furnaces in operation at present, seven less than when the armistice was signed, and ten more than last spring when the low tide was reached. The daily average production of pig iron in Alabama in November was six thousand two hundred and thirty three tons, or one hundred and eighty-seven thousand tons for the entire month, which, if maintained for the year, would make a total of about two million two hundred and twenty-four thousand tons.
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 A British medical writer says the chances of Jack Dempsey to win his light With carpenter depend more upon Deinp- seys reaction time" than upon superb ority in weight and hitting power Hon. Carpenter may know what the learned gentleman is talking about. but it's a cinch that Hon. Dempsey doesn't
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 new illustration of tine folly of drink ing during business hours is given by the luckless Pullman porter, who got caught over in Georgia because he i'm bibed too freely and in the dark loaded 1s gallons of pure rye on the wrong train.
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 Italians who went back to Italy re- turned to America because the high cost of living was worse in the homeland than in the United States. The next time they'll think twice before bidding the Statue of Liberty nasty farewell
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