The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-25
Remarkable Gains Explain
 Themselves in Large Indus-
 trial Activities of District, Declares Manager Bum of the Chamber of Commerce
IRON, STEEL AND COAL INDUSTRIES ARE THRIVING
Increased Wages With Full Employment and Demand
 for Cars Shows Healthy State of Business in District. Citizens Discuss Showing

Birmingham is primarily pru- ducer and the world is calling for production, explaining the remarka- ble gains in bank clearngs being registered by this city in comparison with others in the United States. 0. l.. Bum, manager of the Chamber Of Commerce. declared Saturday iB commenting on press dispatches car ried by The Age-Herald Saturday morning showing that Birmingham led all other cities of the nation in increase of bank clearings for the week of March %, compared with the same week of last year. The gain was 73.3 per cent.
 Business men of Birmingham were pleased and their comments on the record hung up showed much gratifi- cation at the pace being set by the city in competition with other municl- palities.
 As though to accentuate the record made during the week ending March 22, Birmingham bank clearings Sat- urday went S2 per cent over the same day of 1922, being s4.513,000 against @Nrfoo,VUU on MaTCn S4, I9SS.
 March clearings through Saturday indicate that figures for the entire month will equal if not exceed the all-t time record for bank clearin.s here registered in January, when they totaled l39,oo0,000. Clearings thus far this month are s1oS,s1, QUO, an increase of S3S,3S7,0o0 over those of last year. The gain IS 5S.G per cent.
 SeIf-ExpianatOry.
 You don't have to explain these remarkable gains in bank clearings,' said MT. Bum. They speak for themselves. They tell the story Of Birmingham in clarion tones and they sound it in competition with other cities. But I am not surprised at q gain of 73 per cent in bank clearings when l know that our iron and steel production is 100 per cent above last year, our coal production 90 to 50 per cent ahead of last year, our steel mills making new all-time high records and our post office re- ceipts lately going at the rate of Il per cent above last year; when 1 see our coke going to Europe and South America, to supply the RuLr basin void, and our rails and plates going to Japan and China and our cast iron pipe, iron and steel products moving to the Pacific coast by the thousands of tons.
 Our pay rolls have sA'Allaa through the increase in wages and the employment of our workers on full time and overtime.
 "Our car shortage is sign of prosperity. There are more cars, but every one wants maximum supply It the same time. Our pipe shops are overloaded with orders and so are our steel mills.
 our bank clearing record is a Pfrt,1 1i,,rr I1. .a,,,'c capacity. It is at 100 per cent above last year. The bank clearings simply reflect the recovery; that is all. Coleman Dlach Talks.
 Tt speaks well for the city" said Coleman Blach of J. Blach X Sons T will say that Birmingham is well advertised and that it's prosperity is bs coming known over the country. I was in Kansas last week and when l mentioned that l was from Bir- mingham people took notice. They know the place is on the map and they know where you're from when you say you're from Birmingham"
 T was very much pleased to see Birmingham led the entire country in percentage of increase in bank c earrings last week." said Sid w. Lee of the Alabama Grocery com pany. We have a wonderful town and it is growing by leaps and bouHus.
 o O O
 R. A. POrter's Views.
 R. A. Porter of the Tyler Grocery company expressed satisfaction at the showing made by Birmingham in leading the country. Birmingham was among the first cities in ths United States to begin to improve in business conditions following the de- pression period he said. T consider this the outcome of our natural re- sources. Another thing leading to the Magic City's faster recovery II an thot of neighboring cities is the fact that many of her leading in- dustries never ran below 50 per cent capacity
 Most encouraging" was the com meut of Roscoe Mcconnell of Me Connell- WhiteTe Healty and h. sIrance company. such figures arc generally taken as the measure of prosperity in community. 1ndus- trial conditions show about the same percentage of increase"