The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-21
MOBILE, UNDAUNTED. ID RESUME BATTLE FOR GREATER PORT
Chamber of Commerce Ap- points Committee to Decide Upon Programme-City'S
 Business Chief Dis
 cuSSeS Future

Mobile, November 20.-(Special. )--'Mo- bile is neither downcast nor Respondent because of the failure of the seaport amendment at the November election said George D. Linning. president of the Mobile chamber of commerce. There arc many perhaps who feel disappoint ment in the result, and few who ex- press resentment at certain methods said to have been used to accomplish the de- feat of the plan that would have given the port the aid of the state for it's fu- ture development
 The legislature of 1925 which, with the governor, is to be nominated in the pri- lparieS little more than a year hence, may resubmit the amendment, it is stated, iii a form that will be more sat isfactory to the voters, or constitu- tIonal convention may be called to make this and other changes in the organic law. All of this. however, is proble. nautical and uncertain
 'But the one certain thing is that if Mobiles seaport is to make any imme- dlate progress towards meeting modern requirements for competition with the other chief ports of the gulf," continued Mir. Linning, that progress will be the results of our own efforts, initiated and continued right here ill Mobile. Thrown
  must accomplish the thing it started out to do.
 MOBILE NOT BROKE"
 "AS eonanercial center JnlS city must either go forward or drift backward. Once established, a port must maintain Its commercial advantages, for trade will seek that seaport which takes the least toll from commerce in time and money, which has the physical equipment, and other facilities to transact its business with dispatch.
 i.'Mobile is not a busted community not by several lengths. The assessments of the city for taxation show an in- crease of $6,704,215 over those of the pre- yious year. This means that the bond ing power of the municipality this year is in round figures $469, 600 greater than it was year ago."
 The Mobile Rotary club has suggested that Arlington docks, upon which the city has already expended the greatest part of a $600000 bond issue, be placed on it's feet as a going concern as the first great forward step for the improve ment and extension of the port The city engineer, in an offhand estimate, ex- presses the opinion that it will cost about s100,000 to build sheds and railroad tracks that will permit the limited use of facilities there and make the project a going concern, capable of extension and improvement.
 COMMITTEE NAMED
 Tn distance Mobile has ne advantage or exports in large area and middle west. It has the advantage in the price of bunker and export coal. It is the natural port for the lumber of a vast territory. But Mobile cannot even take advantage of these advantages without first improving the ports terminals.
 When Europe settles, it is declared, there will be a revival of the commerce of this port in slaves, for instance to say nothing of the probability of an even break at this port for export cotton and other commodities that might be enume- rated. Many predict that these things will begin to come to pass within the next year.
 The chamber of commerce has author iZed the appointment of a committee to confer with the city commission, port authorities and others Having charge of port units, with a view of seeing what can be done for the early improvement of the seaport and then to assist in doing it.