The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-05
For the Good Of
the Community

TN recent months the export of coal from
the Birmingham district to Central
and South America has been much dis
cussed, and from time to time statements
have been made that steps were being
taken to build up this trade.
Announcement was made in Washing
ton week or ten days ago that ocean
freight rates from Mobile would be $3.50
lower than from New York and Atlantic
ports to all Of South America and to Cen
tral America, the new rate to be author
lzed at an early date.
There has also been more or less talk
of an export coal corporation being
formed IN birmingham to handle this
business for the operators of this district
The matter of organizing such corpora
ton was referred to special committee
representing the operators two or three
weeks ago, but what decision, If any, has
been reached, has not been made public
AS an instrument of this export trade it
Is stated a storage warehouse of So, 900
tons capacity will be built at Mobile, with
facilities installed capable of unloading
coal from barges and loading it onto
steamships at the rate of 800 tons an hour.
In connection with these announce
ments recent report of the government
covering exports of American coal to Cen
trail and South American countries and
the West Indies in the month of August,
this year, is interesting. This report shows
exports in August as follows:
To Gautamala, 1910 tons; Honduras,
618 tons; Nicaragua, 1876 tons; Mexico,
10,950 tons; Jamaica, 7789 tons; Cuba,
108,216 tons Argentina, 69,728 tons;
Brazil, 1900 tons; Chile, 1862 tons;
Uruguay, 1922 tons.
With coal going to Mobile by way of
the Warrior rivey at about 40 cents per ton
less than it can be delivered at Atlantic
ports from Pennsylvania, West Virginia
and other northern and eastern fields and
differential of $3.50 in favor>o of Mobile
to Central and South America, it would
appear that Alabama coal would have an
advantage over all other fields in the
United States that would give it practi-
cally a monopoly Of that trade.
A few weeks ago a representative of
the Portals Company, Ltd, of New York
and Buenos Aires, was in Birmingham
looking over the possibility Of effecting
arrangements with Birmingham opera
tors for coal shipments to the Argentine
republic He stated that his company
would take 100000 tons year.
The present equipment in service on
the Warrior rvier, together with that or
dered and to be delivered shortly after
the first Of January, can handle only
about 100000 tons of coal year. 1t is
important, therefore, both to the Bir-
mingham district and the success of the
Warrior river service that not only the
present equipment, but all contracted for,
be employed to its utmost capacity.
Intimations have come from Washing
ton within the last week or two that some
of the boats ordered for the Warrior river
would be diverted to other rivers. To
hold these boats and barges on the War
rior it is essential that business be pro-
vided for all of them. If it is found that
they are not sufficient to take care of all
the freight offered, others will be pro-
vided, and none taken away.
The port of Birmingham corporation
was organized for the purpose of building
terminals at the point on the river nearest
RI Pi,.,,inohano IT is IN tn the business