The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-16

the wharves and piers to the Mobile river Once inside the bay there are ample and safe anchorages and the tidal variation is so small as to not in terfere with navigation. There are no bridges over the main ship channel. Health conditions at the port are good. AS provided for by the United States government the channel over the Mo- bile bar will be B feet deep at low wa ter and 450 feet wide, and in the bay and river the channel will be when finished, as now, 30 feet deep and 300 J wide. There are three public terminals now, one the municipal dock at Mobile and the other belonging to. the United States government and located on Blakely island across the river and a mile above the city. The port GUS toms, regardless, service and charges are standard.
 Freight Rates Favorable
 The freight rate situation at Mobile is very favorable to the port. On all rates from points in the interior the rates are on parity with New Orleans except for certain classifications and commodities where Mobile has a rate structure advantage of her own.
 The shipyards of the port are ade- quate to care for the docking and repair of her shipping. And the terminals are sa tisfactory for immediate needs, but the new state terminal when completed will give to Mobile a set of terminals as good as any. and better than most. Of the American seaports.
 As a base for fuel and supplies the port has facilities for supplying all ship needs and can bunker either oil or coal burning vessels drawing up to 30 feet of water.
 The commerce of the port, while at present confined principally to a few | important bulk commodities, Is bound to become more general when the port facilities are improved to handle it. Our foreign trade, particularly to the Latin Americas and the orient, with the Pan anna canal an important factor, and the nature of the production and consump- J tion of the territory tributary to the port, and the stress being placed on that territory to utilize the gulf ports in routing to and from aforementioned countries and the Pacific coast and the geographical position of Mobile to the entire scheme is bound to react in fa- vor of the port.
 While Mobile is served by five trunk line railroads, the federal inland and coastwise waterways service and 70 steamship lines operating in both coast wise and foreign commerce.
 | However, this port is alive to the fact that routing of high-class freight Is gov erned by two factors service at the port and prompt and economical handling of cargo which includes not only the com petitive rate to the port, but port ter minals, facilities and charges, and is concentrating her efforts on supplying these services, getting attractive rail rates to the port, arrangement for full and satisfactory interchange of equip ment between the rail lines entering the port and their interior connections and making her port charges reasonable.
 Mobile wants a balanced and profit able revenue bearing freight through her 1 terminal.
 So be it, Mobile is to be gauged by present terminal plus the new Alabama port facilities and by the character of the commodities originating in and dis tributed to the productive portion of the lands bordering on the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
 Mobile with her geographical posi- ton, her natural and economic advan tages and her opportunity has more to- day than New Orleans, Houston and Pensacola individually or combined.
 BANK CLEAR4NGs | NEW YORK, Nov. 15.-The actual condition of clearing house banks and trust companies for the week show an excess in reserve of $4,540,61O. This is a decrease of $106, ,983 S70 compared with last week. The statement follows:
 Loans. discounts, etc., $5,501, ,160 ,o00; increase, $137 ,152. .000. Cash in own vaults, members Federal Reserve Bank, $49, ,271 ,000; decrease, $3,295. .000. Reserve in Federal Reserve Bank of member banks. $61s, ,494 .O0o; decrease, sss, TSP, ,OOO. Reserve in own vaults, state banks and trust companies, $s,462, ,000; de- crease. $1,000. Reserve in depositaries, state banks and trust companies, $11,- 359, ,000; increase, $s55 00O. Net demand deposits, $4,719,997,0O0; increase, $145,- 85o,000. Time deposits, $607 7,2O9 .00O; in crease, $s52,00o. Circulation, S32, 2,2s2 OOo; increase, $132,OOO. United States de- reserve, $638,315.0O0. Excess reserve, $4,54O,61o; decrease, $106, ,9s3,s7O.
 Summary of state banks and trust companies in Greater New York not included in clearing house statement: Loans, discounts, etc., $9S0, ,5s0, 400; in- crease, $4,737,20O. Gold, $4.107, 500; in- crease, $3O,1O0. Currency and bank notes Sz5,4o9, ,zOO; increase, $1,971,OOO. Deposits with Federal Reserve Bank of New York, $9O,O76,5 800; increase, $s1s, 700. Total deposits. $1, ,055. .937 300; increase, s,315, 400. Total deposits, eliminating amounts due from reserve depositaries and other banks and trust companies in New York and United States: De- posits, $9SS, ,609, 100; increase, $4,605, 700. Banks: Cash in vaults, $33, 3,637, 100. Trust companies: Cash in vault, $s4,O16, 200.
 
 FLAX MARKET DULUTH, Minn., Nov. 15.-Close: go 65. May. S272K