The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-29

The sunlight of prosperity for Bir. mingham district for 1925 is easily dis cernible to all persons who have watched developments here during the last three months. Just how long that prosperity will continue is problemati- cal, much depending upon what is to transpire during the first three months of the new year. If permitted to guess l we would state that the outlook appears most encouraging for busy 12 months. We should have much prosperity in indications and developments and the return of general business confidence as expressed by industrial leaders. An Associated Press dispatch pub lished Sunday morning by The Age Herald carried a most optimistic state ment by James A. Campbell, president of the Youngstown (Ohio) Sheet and Tube company. MT. Campbell was con- | versing on the new year forecast. Among other things he drove home these points, all of which affect Birmingham in particular:
 The railroads are, believe, mak-
 ing more money than at any time
 in their history.
 The population is growing daily
 and must have additional houses to
 provide shelter and commercial
 buildings of all kinds must be
 erected to keep pace with the pro-
 gress of the country.
 The farmer is receiving higher
 and more profitable prices for his
 products.
 These factors, being prosperous,
 will have the ability to finance in-
 creased purchases and they are all
 important consumers of steel pro-
 ducts.
 Money is cheap ard plentiful,
 and will, believe, continue so throughout the year. Prospects afe that labor, now re-
 ceiying the highest wages ever paid in this or any other country, will be more continuously employed and
 will have great purchasing power
 to absorb the output of the textile,
 automobile and other industries.
 Most steel companies have con-
 tracts covering their output at least
 of the more important products,
 for the first quarter of the new
 year.
 Supporting the forecast made by Mir Campbell was anotter Associated Press dispatch from Washington in part, as follows:
 TheUnited States, in the opinion
 of government agencies, will enter
 upon the new year next Thursday
 with prospect of the most prosper Ous period since pre-war days.
 One cannot read yesterdays Age Herald without feeling that this coun- try is on the high road to great pros- perity, and one cannot travel over the great Birmingham industrial district where so much activity is already in ev- idence without feeling assured that Bir- mingham is going to be just a little bit better off in a business way than most any other section. Ther- are so many things produced in Birmingham that the rest of the country depends upon-much in fact being produced here that the world must have in car rying forward of the program of devel- opment.
 Steady improvement in the pig iron industry in Birmingham has been mo- ticeable throughout '"o winter m, nths. Some tonnage for the second quarter of the new year was sold at $21. This is confirmation of rumors prevalent that further price advances would be forth coming. Announcement by J. W. Me Queen, president of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company, that two of his company's idle furnaces would be blown in on New Years day is another partiularly encouraging development.
 Coal production in Alabama, as pre- viously amour, 1 in these columns, will approximate 19,500,000 tons for 1924. Confirmation of the figure is supplied by c. H. Nesbitt, chief inspec tor of mines in this state. Mir. Nesbitt is satisfied with the result. IIe points out that Alabama will produce more coal in 1924 th.,n the state did in 1922, but that the production Il not reach the production of 1923.
 ''We have every reason to believe that 1925 will be an exceptionally fine year. All indications point to a vast increase in the demand for Alabama coal, and we a.. neful of breaking many existing records" said MT. Nes- bitt.
 In emphasizing optimistic forecasts of industrial authorities that should be conducive to most happy new year for Birmingham, this article would be incomplte without a brief reference to