The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-10-17
KEEPS CONTROL OF
HARB0R In HANDS
OF THE PEOPLE
Seaport Amendment Vests
Legislature With Sole Pow
err to Issue Bonds and
Regulate Building of
Port Terminals

w 1O Vs. ~
at the November election, enables
the people of Alabama to develop
their own and only seaport into an
efficient agency of commerce, this
power now being denied them, if
through the action of their legisla-
ture and their governor they see fit
to do so. It confers no power on
the State Harbor Commission to is
sue bonds or incur debts. Its adop-
ton carries no mandate to the leg
islature to order bonds issued or
sold, but permits to do so.
The Amendment fixes the maxim
UNI limit of bonds that may be is
sued at 100000. These will not
all be issued at one time, but only
as needed.
The Port Terminals will be built
in units, and as each unit is COM
pleted and put into operation it will
begin earning revenues and be self
sustaining.
The Amendment stipulates that
the improvements so made shall al
ways be and remain under the man
agement and control of the State.
The State will make regulations and
fix fees for their We. 1t will make
the fees adequate to meet all ex-
penses and pay the costs of con-
struction. The properties so built
will be owned and operated by the
State in the interest of all the peo-
pie of the State. They will be as
sets of the people of Alabama, and
their earnings will be the peoples
earnings.
Uninterrupted and equal inter
change of freight between the
docks, piers, wharves, warehouses
and grain elevators and ships is es-
sential to the economical handling
of ships and merchandise and to the
commercial growth of port. Con-
flicting regulations and discrimina-
tory restrictions must be avoided
and, if existing, eliminated.
To secure uniformity of charges
and prompt deliveries Of freight, re-
lieved of all determinations, single
ownership of harbor facilities is
necessary, and this can be effected
only through the public owning
them. Port data shows this to be
true. and it further shows that cost
to ships and shippers is materially
less at ports where terminal facil-
ties are owned by the public than
where they are owned by private in
terests.
Other States Own Terminals
Public ownership of port facili-
ties is the established policy in prac-
tically every seaboard State. 1t
has long been the policy in most of
the other maritime nations. In Mas
sachusetts, New York, New Jersey,
Louisiana, Texas, California, Ore
gon and Washington, the public
owns part or all of the harbor IA
cilities. In Virginia. North Carolina,
South Carolina and Florida, harbors
are being improved by the public at
Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston,
Jacksonville and Tampa. In Geor-
gia, campaign is now in progress.
to authorize the issuance Of $751;
100000 Of bonds, backed by the
States credit, to improve the har-
Dor Of Savannah.
Will Alabamians let II be said
that they are the only people in
America who arc afraid to trust
themselves
In adopting the Port Amendment,
Alabama will be falling in line with
her sistcr States, II she fails to
adopt 1t, she will be out Of step with
the balance of the country and
must necessarily fall behind in the
progressive march of commerce and
industry. The Amendment speci-
flos that improvements by tho State
may be made only under appropri-
ate laws passed by the Legislature.
The Legislature, therefore, has the
power, and assuredly will exercise
1t, to erect the necessary safeguard
to promote the interest Of the