The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-17
WARRIOR RIVER IS. OUR GREATEST ASSET. DECLARES HENSON.
Failure of Local Business Men to Take Advantage of River May Lose Government
 BargeS

4It is difficult to understand why the business men of Birmingham and the section included within the War rior river traffic zone do not take more advantage of this waterway and it's freight differentials in their favor" said Robert Jemison, Jr.
 Perhaps it is because we fail to appreciate those things which are given to us with very little effort on our part. Perhaps it is because the government has spent $20,000,000 in creating this matchless traffic bearer without cost to us"
 MT. Jemison attended the meeting of the members of group No of the Ala bama Bankers association, which was held at Tuscaloosa Thursday. The meet ings of the bankers were held on a river boat during trip through the locks and up into Lake Bankhead just above Lock 1T. Mir. Jernfson states that he, as well as all the bankers, was greatly impressed with the elaborate work the government has done not only to make the river riavigable the year round, but to provide boats, barges and loading facilities to increase the use of the river and make it more profitable for shippers to use the stream.
 RIVER TO GULF
 "The government has practically built us a river to the gulf and yet we are failing to take advantage of it." said MT. Jenison '.Many shippers have an idea that the stream is profitable only for the shipment of large cargoes of low grade freight such as iron, steel pipe and coal Nothing could be more erroneous. Only the past week ordered the linoleum which we will use on the floors of our new building shipped by water, and found that we saved a conT siderable sum that way.
 NO freight car is better equipped to handle high class freight than the new river craft. They are cleaner than freight cars and are proof against all kinds of weather damage. Then, since the freight is delivered at your side track, if you have one, or at a freight depot in the city, it is just as conven- tent to have freight come by water as all-rail.
 Now is the critical moment in water transportation in Alabama. The gov ernment has built large number or fine river boats for our use on the War rior but they are not getting enough freight up stream to justify their exis- tence. The government officials nave warned us that these will be transferred to some other river where the people will use them more unless we get more freight upstream
 SAVING OF RATES
 s'It is hard to understand why MT. De- Bardeleben has to continually plead with the shippers here and all over north Alabama to use the river when they can save one-fifth of the very high rates now charged by the railroads. That sav- ing will enable wholesalers to greatly extend their trade territory and will en- able retailers to lower their cost of do- ing business. It is hard to understand why shippers even in Atlanta, Chatta- nooga and Mississippi towns are increas- ing their use of the Warrior and we .peo- pie of Birmingham. with the rver at our very doors, are not taking advantage or it's saving. ss
 Tn my opinion, Henry DeBardeleben has rendered as great service to this district by his work for the river during the last five or six years as his father did in the early days of Birmingham. We all should support the river in ap- preciation of the efforts of MT. DeBar- deleben but if we will not do it for that reason, we certainly should do so for our own selfish interests The Warrior river is our greatest asset and it offers sub stantial dividend to every man who has his freight shipped by water"