The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-16
DISCUSSES
 INDUSTRIAL PLANS
 BEFORE ROTAR|ANS
Safer Legislation. More Ef- ficiency, Port Development Facilities and Trade
 Abuses His Topics

L. Sevier, president of the Ala bama Manufacturers association, in talk to members of the Rotary club yesterday afternoon, discussed the political situation, trade abuses and labor conditions. He told of the purposes of the Alabama Manufac- turers' association.
 He stated the organizat.c was recognized as the eeet method wneTe- by concentration of thought. single ness of purpose anu unity of acton nay be obtained fo- accomplishment of results.
 Getting Results
 MT. Sevier declared there was no i field of activity in which desired re- suits are of more importance than in- dustries. ''The first twelve months of the association, which represented | the activities of 1920. showed 600 l me mberships in 40 counties. repre- senting 120 different classified in custriaI interests with cash capital ization of s300,000.0o0," said MT Se- v,er. This is three times the as- sessed railroad valuations of the | 1 trial taxable interests with an annual pay roll of s75,OOo,000 and employing 110.000 people.
 l Tt is endeavoring to get members l in every city to take an interest in 1 political affairs of state, county and city, to get conservative men to all offices and that which might be ex pected through united effort as 10 present all facts to legislative com
 nittees that the industrial life may secure a square deal in legislatures"
 Affecting Industry l All bills affecting industry are watched by the association, accordir g | to MT. Sevier and 1. will marshal it's 1 forces in support of all bills .hat gre wise and in opposing those that are unwise Plans of the organization to present to the legislature all fs cts bearing on pertinent questions under consideration leaving no ax- cuse for legislation passed by ex- parte statements or lack of know
 ledge.
 We recognize there is more in preventing burdensome legislation of industrials than there is in initiat
 ing and having legislation enacted" 1 he said. land when we consider what l the Sixtysixth Congress did when th ere was introduced 21,967 bills and l joint resolutions and enacted 40
 bills in addition to 77 constitutional amendments were proposed ard of PA l Investigations requested, S2 were au | thorized.'
 Port Facilities
 | The speaker declared it was tue duty of Alabama people to provide as gtod port facilities for Alabama products as provided in any other | state and urged them to work for the state amendment This vii. permit | the state to lend credit without cost to the people for the improvement Of the port of Mobile. With such Ia cilities this would effect |, influ- ence ships establishing regular lines
 to all ports which other ports have I the privilege of enjoying and where | full cargoes are offered for Mobile.
 Full bunkers of coal are taken on l there by the ships he pointed out and that would increase tae con- sumption of coal necessarily providing
 for greater production of Alapama coal. thereby giving employment to many men. Intrastate rates are low el to Mobile than any other southern port 1t is stated.
 Trade Abuses
 MT. Sevier in speaking of trade abuses said :.
 Do Alabama people know what Ala | bama produces? It seems not in that
 there is found in Birmingham 49 memebrs of certain organization, | all of them handling a certain com modity, that comm modity produced in l Birmingham from Alabama raw ma l terial the manufactured commodity l being equal in quality, higher .n price. than manufactured in other states. and only seven in this state
 handing the Alabama product. Is l it wonder that there is an idieness
 of competent labor in the Birming- | ham district? With another manueac- l tLrer who had in 1920 more than | S1t0,000 invested in business and pay
 rolls of S1o0,000, it was found for | given month the largest order from | jobber in Birmingham was l5, while orders from customers in other states. 1 Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Flor | i6a, Georgia, Mississippi, ran in vol
 tunes of 100 to 1s00o, Product of l this manufacturer was of same qial- l ity and on top of it the BirEiinsnam jobber could have fresh supply daily | if desired"
 Continuing MT. Sevier said: | "Involuntary Idleness is to be no more encouraged than involuntary | servitude and the principles of labor force involuntarlly ;dleness through strikes and so long as this policy is i pursued it cannot be expected to re- ceive support of the public as the public is not in favor Of idleness and | certainly not in forced idleness. | --.S%