The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-24
GOVERNMENT CALLS
FOR EQUIPMENT ON
WARRIOR FOR USE
ON NJ |SSISSIPP|
Requisition for Transfer Of
Two TOwboats Already
Received by Traffic
Manager - River
Situation Serious
BY w. j. BOLES

dored last summer Tor the w ar
.rior river service have been
called for by the United States
railroad administration for use
ON the Mississippi river. Requi-
sition for these boats was made
upon Traffic Manager Henry
I. DeBardeleben of the War
rior river section of the Missis-
sippi-W arrior waterways yes
terday, and unless steps are
taken at once to build up a
business on the Warrior that
will demand their retention
here they will go to the Missis-
sippi when completed.
The loss of these two boats would
seriously interfere with the develop
ment of traffic on the Warrior, and
persons interested in that service ex-
press the fear that the diversion of
these would be followed by orders
for the transfer of others and even
tually the Warrior river would be
without any equipment at all.
birmingham is now facing the most
serious situation that has confronted her
since the federal government took over
operations on the Warrior river local
business men say 1t has been an uphill
fight all along the line from the time the
first efforts were made to have the rail-
road administration take over the river
and equip it for commercial traffic on
down 10 the present time, and the fight
against it is stronger now than ever be-
fore
1t has been intimated for several weeks
that the administration would divert
some of the equipment in the Warrior
river service to other rivers, but the
requisition received by Mr. DeBardeleben
yesterday is the first definite step taken
to that end
NO TERMINALS HERE
In his fight for joint rail and water
rates by way of the Warrior river Chief
Engineer Charles F. Wood of the Warrior
river development committee has been
compelled to meet all sorts of Obstacles
some real and others trumped up, but he
has successfully refuted all adverse con-
tentions except one-Birmingham has no
terminals, and no definite step towards
putting them in has been taken
The fight against the Warrior river has
gone to the extent of demanding the
resignation of NJ j. Saunders, director
general of the mississippi Warrior river
waterways, and~Traffic Manager Theo-
dore Brent The interests that are fight
ing the Warrior river have come to real
ize that Mr.. Saunders and Mr.. Brent are
really serious in their determination to
make the service on this stream efficient
and financially successful.
One of the incidents that shows to what
extremes the opposition will go in it's
fight against the Warrior river project
has developed at Tuscaloosa. That thriv-
ing city put in terminals last summer.
They began business on August 1 and
in September they showed a profit The
United States railroad administration has
authorized joint rates from and to Firm
ingham over the Warrior river by way
of Tuscaloosa.
MUST USE ELECTRIC LINE
The railroads. however. do not own
tracks to the wharf where the terminals
are located In order to transfer freight
from railroad to barge and from barge to
railroad it must be hauled a short dis
lance over the street railway in that city.
Up to the present time no satisfactory ar
rangements has been effected for the
transfer of freight over this line. The
rates now charged, it is said, are pro-
hibtive
The Port of Birmingham corporation
1t was known at that time exactly what
the corporation was expected to do. The
cost of the terminals to be erected at
Short Creek had been estimated. The
kind and number of buildings to be
erected, the switches. the derrick, and all
other equipment and facilities had been
ascertained and the cost stated. 1t was
estimated that $4,000 would be snffi-
Gent to put in the terminals SEEDED at
the beginning.
The barge line, operated by the gov
ernment had agreed to lease the term
inals pay the operating expenses and
per cent on the investment A prospectus
of the Pert of birmingham corporation
was prepared at about the time the COM
pany was Incorporated 1t was an
nounced subscriptions to the capital
stock would be received on October 6.
That date passed eighteen davs ago.
NO RATES BEFORE TERMINALS
| When joint rail and water rates for
| freight originating west of the Missis-
sippi river were asked for some time ago
| the railroad administration replied that
birmingham had no terminals, no facll-
ties for handling freight
ssPut in YOUR terminals, then come TO us
for rates. they told the Birmingham
representatives. And this has been the
| one answer to every subsequent request
| 1t is the one essential to the authorize
| ton of these rates.
| 1t is generally understood that the gov
eminent will return the railroads to their
private owners by January 1. That is
| lust little more than two months off
| Contracts for the Birmingham termi-
| nails can be awarded Immediately after
authority is given 1t will take about
/ forty days to construct them. Forty days
| and the middle of December will be here
/ Two weeks later and the railroads win
probably be back in the possession of
! their owners. The railroad adminstra-
| ton will have no further authority to
| make rates and it can be guessed very
easily what will happen to Birmingham s
| petition for them.