The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-16
SENTIMENT FAVORS| STATE OWNERSHIP HARbOR TERMINALS.
This Is the Opinion of Head of Harbor Commission Based On Letters Received
 By Him

MoDlle, september 15.-t tSpeciaI) That there is a growing sentiment in Mobile in favor of the state own ing and operating harbor terminals and facilities seem evident from the tone of letters recently received by President H. K. Milner of the state harbor commission from owners of riparian and warehouse and termi- mai properties along the river, stated Mir Milner today.
 Shortly after MT. Miners induc- tion into office last spring, he got in communication with the owners of terminal and other property fronting on the river relative to the acquisition of these by the commis- sion. He has received responses from practically every person or corporation addressed, and with few exceptions all express themselves favorable to public ownership, he said.
 MT Milner is in Mobile to attend the monthly meeting of the state harbor commission, which, however, held no session for lack of a quorum In discussing contemplated improve ments to the harbor with Harbor- master T. P. NorviIle, he stated that following the receipt of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern railroad com pany's proposition last spring, he wrote letter to each owner of land abutting on the river within the lar Dor district. to the owner of each warehouse in Mobile and to each of the railroad companies owning ter minaIs here.
 There are several thousand feet of unimproved land along the river, and the owners of some of these sig nified their willingness to sell at reasonable prices. Similar replies came from owners of warehouses and from owners of privately owned terminals, he continued.
 MT Miner has accumulated mass Of data on harbors and harbor de- velopments gathered from num- Der of ports along the south Atlantic and the gulf, which he will lay be- fore the commission when it m sets again, probably early in October. This data relates to terminals, nar- DOT fees, tonnage movement. com modities handled, both foreign and coastwise, and facilities nee essary to the fullest development of a har- bor.
 First Essentials
 One of the first essentials to the successful launching of a building programme, MT. Milner stated, is that harbor fees be sufficient to pay interest on the investment. Unless it can be shown that the operating re- turns will take care of these ex- penses, 1t would be impossible to fi- nance the harbor project.
 There is probability that Gov ernor Kilby will call the state legis- lature into extra session in the win ter probably about January, and he has assured Harry T. Hartwell, local menber of the harbor commission, that in the event he does he will in- ciude in his call the Mobile harbor amendment to the constitution. ac- cording to Mr. Milner.
 With the state back of the project and the states credit supporting the bonds, it is not believed there would be any trouble in disposing of them
 While here Mir. Milner, accompa- nied by Harbormaster Norville, made a tour of the harbor on the govern ment dispatch boat Messenger.
 MT. Milner stated that he wanted first-hand information as to the ac- tual conditions here, and sought this method of getting it. He was greatly impressed with the possibilities of Mobile harbor and expressed his de- termination to do all in his power while member of the state harbor commission to further the ports in- terests
 He will probably come to Mobile on October 3 to attend the hearing on port charges before the inter- state commerce commission and de- clares that if he had the time he would attend the hearings at all ports in the south.
 The proposition submitted by the Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad company through President I. B. Tigret, at the May meeting of the commission, is being thoroughly in- vestigated by MT. Milner and other members of the commission. They are gathering all the data possible, so that when the time for action comes they will be in position to pass upon it intelligently.
 Mr. Milner contemplates the collec- tion and tabulation of all commo di- ties passing through the port of Mo bile, both inbound and outbound, coa astwise and foreign, and, based on his, instituting an advertising cam paign throughout the territory trib- utary to Mobile to the end that the importers and exporters may know of the advantages of Mobile as a port and the facilities in the Mobile iarbor for handling ships and reight
 He was especially interested in the