The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-23
FINAL DRIVE FOR
 BIRM|NGPOR IS
 BEING ARRANGED
Warrior River Will Lose Governments Fleet Un- less Terminals Are Full
 ly Completed

"The Terminals at Birming- port that shall place Birming- ham On the Warrior are to be completed.
 "The few who have given, not once but twice, to that project have said that it shall go through.
 .Hov far their fellow citizens con- tribute to this common cause is the only unknown quantity. Before a week shall have rolled by it is believed the backing which these few have more than earned will have been ac- corded"
 This was the sentiment of the War rior river development committee and the contributing shareholders of the Port of Birmingham Corporation, held Saturday in the Chamber of Commerce. Here are just a few of the facts presented by Henry T. DeBardeleben. general manager of the warrior end of the Mississippi Warrior waterway system.
 The equipment that will soon be m the river will enable the handling of a million tons of southbound freight and half million tons of northbound freight per annum, if the terminals are completed and ready to do their part.
 In the schedule of rail and water differentials via Birmingport there is not an Item on which the saving IS under 50 cents per ton. The annual saving to the shippers and merchants of the Birmingham dis | trict by using the river. which they cannot use unless the terminals are completed, will be $75o,00o. | Southbound freight movements with out northbound return cargoes will not | be economical, One-way freight IS un- sound in theory and in practlce' WILL REMOVE CRAFT If the terminals are not completed | the government will withdraw the craft intended and built for the War | rior from that stream and place it on | the Mississippi.
 The craft will be diverted to the Mississippi because it has its terminals located at Memphis Cairo, St. Louis and New Orleans. The Mississippi IS l equipped for business. Birmingham must be to retain the craft with which 1 to convey merchandise. Four times the freight that the present equipment can handle has been ] offered the river management l Taking stock in the Port Of Bir- mingham Corporation is not dona- ton, because the government has of | fered,. upon completion of the ter l minals. to lease them at rental re- | turning per cent on the investment. | In 8 short while the 120 steel con 1 tainers for general merchandise VII I be available.
 WILL WITHDRAW RATES O. l.. Bum explained that the gov | ernment was not hereafter going tt 1 recognize potential use of waterways Tn other words. if Chattanooga doe' not use the Tennessee river Chatta
 nooga will not have rail and watel
 rates. although Chattanooga is on thu ! river.
 If Birmingham completes the War rior terminals and, through them, use | the river. Birmingham will enjoy thu | rail and water rates. If Birmingham does not make good on using the rive
 through the terminals the rail and wa 1 ter rates that have been declared vii be withdrawn.
 "Jt would be nothing less than
 calamity if by failure to complete tn l river terminals, we lost these rall ant ! water lower rates" said Br. Bupn | MT. DebaTueleDeH Iiiio 'e~'S
 ment:
 Not only were export rail rate
 on Birmingham iron and steel prod ucts advanced from s1.90 to $3.7O pc
 ion. but a joker went along with tn increase This joker consists of
 charge of 25 cents a ton wharfage
 Tn case iron and steel products ar
 shipped down the river via Birming port not only is 20 per cent Of tn
 freight rate saved, but the wharfag
 charge is also saved, because tn
 parges load direct from themselves t
 the ship
 WILL PUT TT OVER
 | It was just about at this point that large holder of Port of Birmingham | Corporation stock telephoned to dou
 ble his subscription.
 If was the consensus of opinion tha
 Birmingham folk are all right and tha
 they are generous. It was believe l that after the excursion of the 400 |
 500 people to Brmingport on mex
 Thursday when they see the incom
 pleted terminals and witness their sue
 cessful operation, even in incomplet | form they will return enthused an
 communicate the enthusiasm to otne l citizens of Birmingham.
 | In other words. the slogan now 7 not Can we put 1t over" but w . will nut it over and that i/ hurry.