The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
COMPLETE REPLY
 TO BUTLER MAYS LEGISLATIVE QUIZ
Charged Representative At- tempted By Inuendo To Dis
 courage UpbuiIding Port
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 privileges, allowing exporters to tration, and there it is rehandled and sorted. After this is done some of the cotton is exported and other grades shipped for domestic consump- tion. Mobile does not enjoy that privilege, but as the result of the united efforts of the Alabama Farm Bureau Cotton association, the Ala bama state harbor commission. vari- ous traffic associations of Alabama, cotton exporters, and others inter ested in the cotton business, 1t Is probable that thls privilege will be granted to Mobile before the opening of the next cotton season, in which event the amount of cotton moving through Mobile should be more than doubled next season and there should be d steady increase each year there- after, to the great advantage of Ala bama's farmers.
 Second-Is it true that you can ship through Mobile over the present docks and wharves 30 per cent cheap CT than you can over the docks and wharves of New Orleans?
 Answer-It Is true that Mobile Is a cheaper port than New Orleans. and that Is one Of the arguments we ex- pect to use in inducing business to use that port as soon as we are able properly to take care of it.
 At present the business goes to New Orleans and pays a h/her rate because the terminal facilities are there for handling commerce and fo1. accommodating ships which come after it. This is exactly why the amendment was adopted.
 Third-Would it not cost more to ship over these docks and wharves if more money is expended on them?
 Answer-No one In authority to speak has ever stated that the state of Alabama would spend any money in improving old wharves now in use In Mobile. As general proposition, however, the judicious expenditure of money on existing wharves, thereby enabling vessels to be unloaded and reloaded more expeditiously would bring more revenue to the wharves ana at the same time save money for the ship because of the shorter time the vessels would have to remain in port. This IS also true in an even greater sense if new facilities were erected and operated.
 When 1t is understood that it costs vessel from S2,000 to s5,00O per day, steamlng over the ocean, one can readily understand that ships want to spend as little time as possible in port ana welcome any service which will result in such great saving to them. It is largely upon this fact .hat we expect the new facilities to De authorized by the legislature to create new business and thus add to the prosperity, not only of .he port ltself, but of every citizen of Ala pama interested in any products which have to seek foreign outlet Revenue From WharWSes. W
 FOurth-Did tba ott,, A ,YaLi, , Ing the past ten years build docks ana wharves at cost of practically sSsO,00o, and did they ever bring in any revenue to amount to anything, now?
 Answer-No. 1t did not. So far as we know the only terminal completed by the city of Mobile Is what is known as the municipal wharf, built approximately fifteen years ago. This wharf which Is covered by a steel shed and located nearest to the business center of the city, was built primarily for what is called local business. such as river steamboats, boats plying Mobile bay, small craf or various kinds, barges, etc. and was never intended to accommodate ocean commerce, although frequently ocean-g going vessels use this wharf because of their inability to get berthing space at other piers. There are no facilities on this wharf for handling cargo to and from ocean vessels. The charges made to river and bay boats and other small craft for which this wharf was originally built are relatively small and not in tended as revenue producers. Not withstanding all this, however, the revenues from this wharf run In the neighborhood of s3S,000 per annum, with expenses averaging about S7,700 per annum plus an average cost of approximately S5,000 per annum for maintenance, leaving roughly a net profit of about S26,000 per annum, which would be 6 per cent interest on something more than s4OO,o0o. We submit that this Is a very satisfactory showing. as the municipal wharf cost much less than this sum.
 The city of Mobile. however, has partially constructed. but 1t Is incom- plete and not yet in use. a project known as Arlington docks, which. on account of the fact that it is not fin ished and not in position to handle any business whatsoever, could not be expected to be revenue producer. When completed 1t will no doubt give a good account of itself.
 Effect of Rate Ruling.
 Fifth-Did the ruling of the inter state commerce commission in 1908, compelling the railroads to make a rate to the porth which made the docks and wharves of the Mobile and Ohio railroad, the Southern railroad and the Louisville and Nashville rail- road at Mobile of little value?
 Answer-Mr. Long does not cite